La Luna de Miel
by MJRod
Summary: VI. Season 4.21: Following the marriage of Mano & Carmen in "Carmen Navarro" comes "La Luna de Miel," the honeymoon. What else after the in-laws leave? The romance is sweet but this is no conventional luna de miel: rather, one fraught with adventure. Warning: very romantic but tasteful. Read & review as VKS & MJRod continue our attempt to round out "The High Chaparral" season 4.
1. Chapter 1

La Luna de Miel

By VKS & MJRod

 _The plot picks up where "Carmen Navarro" leaves off—after Mano & Carmen's wedding day at Rancho Montoya._

 **La Luna de Miel Chapter One: Señor y Señora Montoya**

Manolo Montoya stared at the ceiling, then glanced down with a faint smile to see beside him, his new wife. He kissed the top of her head, her black hair cascading over his chest and her back, his arm encircling her. She slept. He did not. He breathed in and out and the thoughts came in rapid succession as she shifted to draw closer to him. She opened drowsy eyes and looked up.

"Too bad, my beloved, that I was not your _first_ conquest," she whispered, teasing.

"Yes, it is," he replied, inclining his head to kiss her again. "But Carmen, you _will_ be my _last_." She sighed and shut her eyes once more.

Never had he made love to one whom he had actually loved. Oh, he liked women. All women. He enjoyed dalliances: the pursuit, the seduction, the consummation-the dance of love. But never had he made love to a woman he would rather die than live without. This he had not known until now. It was all new and somehow marvelous.

Such joy I did not think possible, he reflected. Why? Why now? I do not deserve her. Absolutamente no. His throat caught as a wave of gratitude engulfed him in its warmth. So many women I have known. Widows, wives, saloon girls, young women...never a problem...always willing. Just part of life. Expected. Encouraged. He had used them and they had used him. I never thought I needed a wife...of my own. And yet, now, with this one beside me, such happiness. And she is completely my own. No angry husbands or brothers or fathers or females to accuse him. No, just one completely my own. Ay Bendita, he did not think he could know such peace. I feel completely...he could not believe it...I feel completely _free_ in her arms. He kissed her head once more and drifted off.

Before morning light filtered through the shutters, they awoke and found each other again. She smiled, recalling his words of last night. She knew what to expect. Spoiled? Yes, of course he is spoiled. These oldest sons always are. And he will flirt without question. He does so unaware. It is part of his charm. I don't mind. Besides, Carmen, you know yourself. You would never want a man that other women did not desire. She smiled as she looked in his face.

"If I am not your last conquest," she teased. "I hope you remember what I told you before: I am indeed a very good shot."

"Beloved, if things are not as I said they will be," he kissed her. "You have no need to worry. I shall furnish the gun." She smiled and returned his embrace. And things proceeded at a most pleasant pace.

* * *

They lay together, bathed in a golden light from the slats in the shutters which striped the ivory bed coverings, neither wishing to see the night end or the morning begin. Mano broke the silence first.

"Beloved," he said, stroking her hair. "I am afraid that any arrangements I intended to make for our luna de miel were delayed by Buck's and my latest, ah, adventure. I had meant for us to go to the mountains. Cuernavaca."

"Oh, I would adore that, mi corazón, but such a long trip?" Carmen replied. "Surely you do not wish this again so soon." He did not. This was true. The fast trek to Mexico City prior to the wedding had been unexpected and draining.

"What shall we do then, Carmenita mía?"

"The families are here. Mine leaves today...to Hermosillo to show my brother and his wife their new home. Hector says the Vargases have imposed too much on the Montoyas," Carmen chuckled as she saw Mano's smirk and nod of agreement. "Besides, he wants Carlos and Maria to see where they will live so they will know what to bring from Mexico City. The rest will be sold with the house so your uncle and Hector may be repaid."

"I like Hector. Your mother terrifies me, but I like your stepfather," Mano admitted, lifting Carmen's hands to his lips.

"As do I. And yet, mi vida, you know what this move of Carlos will mean," Carmen frowned.

"Sí, Hermosillo is lost to us," he sighed. "We shall have to think of new ways of avoiding your brother."

"I agree, but Manolito, the children! My nieces and nephews! I love them so. I wish to teach them to ride."

"The children can visit Rancho Montoya when we are here."

"Gracias, mi corazón."

"My family will be leaving the day after," he said, pausing at the fact that he had just referred to the Cannons as family. So they were, and not just his sister, Victoria. "Shall we stay at Rancho Montoya a few days and go to Hermosillo ourselves? Once the city is clear of Vargases, of course?"

"Oh, yes! The opera, the theatre, restaurants! The Hotel Nacional! Oh, please! We must enjoy these while we can. And then..."

"And then?"

"Manolo, I long to visit Rancho Navarro. I have not been there since the fall."

"All right."

"And then..."

"And then? What is this? Another 'and then'?"

"And then I want to go to Arizona to visit your sister at the High Chaparral and…"

"All right, beloved, all right...but perhaps first, we might, ah," he kissed her lips again and drew her close. She cut short the embrace.

"Manolo, I think perhaps we should go down for breakfast, mi corazón."

"I do not need to eat; I have you." he replied, teasing, kissing her again.

"But I should like a little something. Some fruit or a cup of coffee at least." She smiled and he could refuse her nothing. "Besides, our families will be stirring soon. I must tell my mother and Hector goodbye."

"Ay yi yi, chiquita. Very well, we will get up and go downstairs for some food."

 _VKS & MJRod claim the creation of Carmen Navarro, although we took her first name from a David Dortort script proposal. We also are the creators of the Vargas clan , Rancho Navarro and its people including Delgado, and all of the characters in and around Hermosillo. We would have nothing to create were it not for our favorite western, "The High Chaparral," to which we pay tribute._


	2. Chapter 2

**La Luna de Miel Chapter Two: Breakfast at Casa Montoya**

Best intentions aside, the new señor and señora found that washing, dressing, and getting downstairs ended up taking longer than it might have another day. Perhaps if Mano had not again shooed off the maid, as he had the night before, the couple might not have succumbed to laughter...and other diversions. "Believe it or not, mi esposa, I can help you with this corset," he had insisted. His idea of helping did not match Carmen's, but at last they did dress, They chose somewhat formal attire: Mano, a white shirt with his customary silver studded pants; Carmen, a fitted blue dress with a scooped neckline, cut low yet tasteful, not provocative.

"Señora Montoya?" Mano said, offering his arm at the top of the stairs. Carmen smiled as she took it. "You look beautiful this morning. A pretty blue dress, just the right... _length_." He was not looking at the hem. I am glad she does not want to look like a nun, he thought, but my Carmen manages to be modest, too. I don't want other men thinking about what only I know.

"Gracias, Señor Montoya. And wipe that grin off your face. They may guess what we have been up to," she said with a chuckle as he raised an eyebrow and nodded in agreement. They descended the stairs and entered the grand dining hall of the Hacienda Montoya, where silver and crystal gleamed, and the Spanish oak sideboard groaned under the weight of platters of food.

"Good morning my nephew and my lovely new niece. I trust you slept well?" Don Domingo de Montoya, the patrón of Rancho Montoya and Mano's uncle, looked up, rising halfway as a sign of politeness, then settling again in his chair.

"Thank you, Tío. The new bed is magnificent and the bed linens..." Manolito trailed off, uncomfortable once he realized what he was discussing at the breakfast table. "What I mean to say is…" he tried again.

"Shhhh, Manolito!" Carmen smiled, placing her hand over his mouth in a playful gesture.

Don Domingo laughed and after a second or two, so did Mano and Carmen. the self conscious laughter of an inside joke. "Permiso," Mano pulled out a chair and invited Carmen to sit, then walked to the sideboard. He filled two gilded china plates with scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes, bacon, and hard rolls. He set the plates down, one in front of Carmen and the other at the place opposite her, since Don Domingo already occupied the head of the massive rectangular table. As he sat, servants rushed to pour hot coffee for them both and they occupied themselves with the business of eating for several minutes.

How hungry I am, thought Mano, observing that he had heaped his plate full, unusual for him. He had done the same for Carmen, he realized. His face felt warm as he thought about the cause of his appetite. Such discomfiture was new to him, even slight embarrassment a feeling to which he was unaccustomed. He caught Carmen looking at him with a sly smile, as if she knew his secret. Which of course, she did.

"Good morning!" a feminine voice rang out.

"Ah, good morning, my beautiful niece," Don Domingo announced, standing as Victoria Cannon glided in, radiant, a swish of rose chiffon, followed by her husband and brother-in-law, both smiling also on this happiest of mornings. Mano stood as well while John pulled out the chair next to Carmen for his own wife, who sat.

"Please, sit down," Victoria smiled at her uncle and brother, then turned to greet Carmen, speaking a few words to her new sister-in-law in a low voice that none of the men could hear. Carmen whispered an answer and both women appeared next to...did they giggle? Mano could not tell. How nice that they get along...I think. Buck loaded his plate as was his custom; John filled his and Victoria's, and the men sat down as servants hurried in with coffee.

"My, Mano, you got yourself a appetite this morning!" Buck exclaimed as he plopped down into the chair beside his friend. "I ain't never seen you…" he broke off, aware of both John and Mano glaring at him. "I mean, ah…" Victoria's eyes widened. Carmen, blushing and trying not to laugh, looked down at her plate. An awkward silence fell but for less than a minute as the women tried to contain themselves but could not. Carmen and Victoria started to giggle again, then burst into laughter as the men joined in. Whew, Buck shook his head. Glad I got outta that one, he, thought relieved. His brow furrowed as he glanced at his brother. Hmmm, Big John's plate's pretty full, too. Buck snickered.

Mano cleared his throat and spoke. "Carmen and I wish to thank you all for giving us a marvelous day yesterday. It was all we could have hoped for."

"Yes, it was," Carmen echoed her husband. "And Tío and Victoria, we especially thank you. We are most grateful."

"What else for my nephew and, now, my new niece?" Domingo replied while Victoria beamed.

"Mano, what y'all gonna…" Buck's question was interrupted and the merriment ended as the men rose again. In marched the Doña Dolores, her husband, Hector, behind. We are shore doin' a lotta poppin' up an' down, Buck thought, but even he stood, yanking his napkin from under his chin. Hector pulled out the chair opposite Don Domingo, and Carmen's mother settled herself at the foot of the grand table, much as any queen would assume her throne. All nodded and expressed their greetings to the newcomers.

"Buenos dias, Señor y Señora Santos," Don Domingo said. "I trust my servants have attended to your needs?"

"Sí, gracias," Hector replied with an affable smile. The Doña Dolores nodded. A vampire queen, Mano thought. A fantasma. A demon. He no longer felt hungry and he was thankful that Big John sat at the Doña's right rather than he, Manolo Montoya, the new son-in-law.

Mano offered his in-laws a polite, perfunctory smile. Carmen grinned. "Good morning Mamá, Hector."

"I trust you _slept_ well, daughter?" the Doña asked, tilting her head back and squinting at Mano through fleshy eyelids. Carmen said nothing, but her face reddened.

"The Vargas family, will they dine this morning?" Domingo asked, though he knew the answer already.

"Not with us," Hector said. "The children have already been fed. The governess saw to that, with the assistance of your cook. They ate in the kitchen, I believe. The servants took something to Carlos and Maria in their room. They will not be joining us for breakfast."

Good, thought Victoria, inhaling a deep breath. I never ever wish to see those people again. Mano watched his sister's face and read her thoughts, as only he could do. Victoria, rising to my defense once more, he shook his head and smiled. John focused on his eggs, bacon, and roll, while Buck ate with his usual gusto. The servants rushed in, directed by the chief servant Pepe, bringing coffee and also preparing plates of food which they carried to the Santoses from the sideboard. Hector smiled and nodded his thanks. The Doña Dolores gave a curt nod as well.

All fell to eating, except Mano, who now picked at his food.

"What are your plans, Señor Santos?" John Cannon asked, breaking the silence.

"As we have told Carmen," Hector replied, "we go to Hermosillo today. Gracias, again, Don Domingo, for the use of your carriages and men. I will arrange for my agent to open up my property there so that the Vargases may see their new home and plan accordingly."

"Then we take the stage to Mexico City," the Doña Dolores chimed in, her voice calm, just a bit shrill. "Hector has booked two coaches, necessary with the children and such."

"Oh, and how long will you be in Hermosillo?" Mano asked, pretending nonchalance. He had no intention of taking Carmen there until they were gone.

"Until Tuesday. The stages are booked for Tuesday," Hector answered. "We had intended to stay at Rancho Montoya till then, but circumstances what they are, it is best we settle business in Hermosillo and then proceed to Mexico City. Dolores and I eventually will return to Veracruz."

Ah, Mano thought, then Carmen and I will stay with Tío till Tuesday or even the day after, just to be safe. He made a mental note to ask one of the Montoya drivers to reserve a suite for them at the Hotel Nacional and to book tickets to the theatre and opera, all with the greatest discretion. Jorge usually drove guests to the stage in Hermosillo. Jorge will do this for me, Mano knew. He smiled a tight-lipped smile.

"It is just as well you avoid Veracruz for the rest of the spring, is it not?" Domingo asked. "The malaria, the yellow fever...are they not worse in this season along the coast?"

"Sí, but one stays inside," Hector answered.

"I am not afraid of yellow fever or malaria," announced the Doña Dolores. Of course not, Mano thought. I believe those diseases should be afraid of you. Ay yi yi.

 _VKS & MJRod claim the creation of Carmen Navarro, although we took her first name from a David Dortort script proposal. We also are the creators of the Vargas clan , Rancho Navarro and its people including Delgado, and all of the characters in and around Hermosillo. We would have nothing to create were it not for our favorite western, "The High Chaparral," to which we pay tribute._


	3. Chapter 3

**La Luna de Miel Chapter Three: La Reina**

Breakfast concluded amid small talk and silence. "Permiso," Mano said, folding his napkin and placing it beside his plate. "Thank you, Tío," he nodded and walked over to pull out the chair for Carmen, even as John and Hector did the same for their wives. Buck and Domingo stood as the ladies rose to leave the table. His attention on Carmen, Mano did not see the approach of danger, although he did hear a snicker from Buck as the Doña Dolores pushed past Victoria and John and grabbed her son-in-law by the arm. He turned, surprised, to look down into his mother-in-law's eyes. Her gaze pierced him through the folds of flesh surrounding dark orbs.

"You," the Doña said. "You I wish to speak with. Alone. You will take a walk with me."

"Por supuesto," Mano answered bowing. He had no choice. With a sideways glance at Carmen, he grinned and drew one finger across his throat as if to signal his coming decapitation. Only his bride could see this gesture and she stifled a chuckle. Domingo offered his arm to Carmen, who took it, flashing her mother a warning look that the old lady ignored. Mano took a deep breath and decided, with nothing to lose, to pour on the charm. "Shall we, Doña Dolores?" he offered her his arm as would any gentleman. "The courtyard, perhaps?" The gray haired matron agreed with an imperious nod. Hector's eyes narrowed, but the others watched, wide-eyed, while Mano escorted his mother-in-law from the dining room as if she were the grandest of ladies, which in some ways, she was. He held the door for her. Once they were outside, he again offered his arm as they walked around the fragrant courtyard. Roses, sage, and dew perfumed the air. Not bad last scents for the condemned man, Mano laughed to himself.

"Son-in-law," the Doña began. "You should know that I was not pleased when Carmen wrote of her engagement to you."

"Why not? If I may ask."

"Your reputation. It is very bad. Or at least it was. My son confirmed what I already knew of your family, of your uncle. A gambler. I had heard you were not much better and far more of a womanizer than even he."

"I am surprised that my reputation is known anywhere south of Sonora, Doña Dolores," Mano replied.

"Montoyas are known," she said. "However, I have begun to change my mind about you."

"Whatever you may have heard, it is probably true, Doña," Mano admitted as they paused before the central fountain. Clear water bubbled up, disturbing the lily pads floating on the surface of the water.

"I know these things are true," the Doña continued. "But I had also heard that you had changed. That you have helped your uncle. That you should have inherited this rancho and will do so someday. I have heard many things. Besides, after what I have learned about my own son, being a gambler seems, shall we say, not so bad. My son is an incompetent gambler and an embezzler, far, far worse."

"Uncle is the gambler. I, ah, deal in small hands," Mano replied, amused by his own pun.

"Yes, you are clever. I also believe I owe you the life of my son. You could have shot him. I am not sure I would not have done so, were I in your place. Carlos is a fool."

"Well, I cannot say I will ever trust Carlos. But to shoot him? No. It distresses me to kill a relative, even an in-law," Mano said, pensive. The Doña nodded in agreement.

"Know this, Manolo Montoya. Nothing stops my daughter when she makes up her mind. You must be strong to save her, sometimes, from herself. She will listen to you." Mano shrugged his shoulders. He doubted this very much. Maybe sometimes, but his Carmen was strong willed. "And something else. You will not hurt her, do you understand?" He nodded. "No other women, no mistresses, no carousing. If you mistreat her, this you should know..."

"Ah, Doña," he stopped her. "She has already told me, She is a good shot."

"And just who do you think taught her how to shoot?"

Mano laughed. "Doña Dolores, I can only say that your daughter is the most important person to me in the world. I shall strive to be worthy of her and although I will never achieve this, I will be faithful. I love her more than life. I would give my life for hers. I do not deserve her."

"No, you do not. On that we agree," she answered, then a softness came into her eyes. "Just make her happy, Manolito," the Doña called him by his nickname for the first time. The old lady looked up and patted him on the face, not unlike his own father might have done. What I wouldn't give to have seen you with Papá, Mano thought with a grin. He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek and they walked inside together, to the immense relief of Carmen, who rushed to his side, and Buck, who caught his eye with a wink.

 _VKS & MJRod claim the creation of Carmen Navarro, although we took her first name from a David Dortort script proposal. We also are the creators of the Vargas clan , Rancho Navarro and its people including Delgado, and all of the characters in and around Hermosillo. We would have nothing to create were it not for our favorite western, "The High Chaparral," to which we pay tribute._


	4. Chapter 4

**La Luna de Miel Chapter Four: In Laws and Outlaws**

This has been, at best, an awkward farewell, Don Domingo thought, glad to see the Santos y Vargas entourage departing his rancho, although he had developed great respect for Hector Santos, who was not the mousy man he had appeared at first to be.

"Your family is very, ah, int'resting, Miss Carmen," Buck Cannon said, wiping sweat off his brow with a black shirtsleeve and replacing his hat as Montoyas and Cannons watched three carriages full of Santoses, Vargases, French governess, maids, and baggage jostle out of the courtyard gate and rumble under the grand arches of the Hacienda Montoya to head for the Hermosillo road.

"Just Carmen, Buck," Carmen replied. "And yes, that is a very good word for them. Interesting." She had given her sister-in-law Maria an obligatory and dispassionate goodbye kiss, hugged her nieces and nephews, smiled and nodded to the governess and maids, embraced and kissed her Mamá and Hector. For her brother Carlos, she had reserved an icy stare and the slightest inclination of her head, no more, despite the fact that he had tried to apologize earlier that morning.

"Carmenita, hermanita mía, I am a weak man," Carlos had opened. "Please, search your heart..."

"Shut up, Carlos," she had snapped. "I trusted you. You threatened harm to my husband and his property, and who knows what you have done with my bank accounts. I shall never trust you. What is more, I shall probably never speak to you again." And she had not thus far. She had never liked him. Now she had reason to ignore him.

Mano bid farewell to some of his new in-laws with warmth, shaking hands with Hector, kissing the Doña Dolores's hand, tousling the heads of the little boys, and hugging the little girls. "You muchachos will come see us at Rancho Montoya, yes?" He nodded to the French governess, offered a curt bow to the Doña Maria, and looked Carlos in the eye without emotion, much as he might regard a stray cur.

"Mano, Carmen has given me a letter authorizing me to act as her agent in Mexico City," Hector had told him earlier, the day before the wedding. "I will transfer her accounts to El Banco Nacional de la Ciudad de Mexico. If what he says is true, I do not think that Carlos has helped himself to too much. However, her accounts will be repaid from the proceeds of the sale of his home, as will your uncle, then myself. Your money will be safe."

"Hector, it is _her_ money, not mine, and we thank you. I would, eh, send a trusted man to Casados to settle Carlos's latest debt. Do not go yourself. Casados is a vicious man and not fond of Montoyas or anyone connected with my uncle or myself."

"Oh, do not worry. I am not afraid of Jose Casados."

"No? All right. Should you have any trouble, I know, ah, a lady named Lola who might be of some assistance."

"Lola? En la Zona Rosa Dos?"

"You know her?"

"Let us just say I was not always married to the Doña Dolores," Hector said with a wink. I may have underestimated you entirely, Mano thought, shaking his head with a grin.

"All right. Cuidado, amigo," Mano said, clapping Hector on the shoulder. "And should you happen to see Lola, tell her Domingo and Manolito are well and we send her our regards."

Hector nodded his assent. A good man, Mano thought. He found himself growing a little fond of the Doña Dolores, too, although she was indeed a force, as Carmen had said. Well, Veracruz is some distance away. But Hermosillo...how he loved that city, now soon to be ruined by the presence of his brother-in-law and family. At least the children were pleasant enough and amusing. Ay yi yi, well, we cannot choose our family, can we? But Carmen had fared far better than he in terms of in-laws, he thought. Still, I am glad she and I will spend a few days alone in Hermosillo, provided Jorge makes the arrangements with discretion as I asked. Which he will. Mano also smiled as he remembered the 500 pesos Hector had thrust into his hand.

"Take this, Manolo. You incurred unexpected expenses when you and Señor Cannon were forced to make that journey to Mexico City. Through no fault of your own, your funds, I suspect, have been depleted. Dolores and I wish for you and Carmen to enjoy a pleasant luna de miel."

"Gracias, Hector. This is not necessary," Mano began.

"I think it is."

So he had pocketed the banknotes with a nod and his sincere thanks, only looking later to discover the generous amount.

 _VKS & MJRod claim the creation of Carmen Navarro, although we took her first name from a David Dortort script proposal. We also are the creators of the Vargas clan , Rancho Navarro and its people including Delgado, and all of the characters in and around Hermosillo. We would have nothing to create were it not for our favorite western, "The High Chaparral," to which we pay tribute._


	5. Chapter 5

**La Luna de Miel Chapter Five: The Family Circle**

John Cannon and Victoria had walked inside Hacienda Montoya as soon as the Santos y Vargas contingent boarded the carriages.

"Oh, John, I am glad to see those people go."

"I suspect Mano is, too, Victoria. And probably Carmen. At least her brother."

"Can you imagine? Such a despicable man! Taking her money, sending men to kill my brother, stealing his prized horse!"

"Well, some of that was that Casados fellow."

"Only with Don Carlos's help could Casados have known what to do."

"They're gone, Victoria. They won't be back."

"But they will be in Hermosillo, John! Much too close."

"Yup. That is a concern. But Mano and Carmen'll handle it. Besides, they won't always be at the Rancho Montoya," John said, pausing. "I am sure they will go to Carmen's ranch and spend some of the time with us at High Chaparral. Those places are far enough away from Don Carlos."

"Oh, John I hope so! Do you think they will? Manolito is becoming so involved in assisting Tío Domingo here."

"I think they will, Victoria. Mano and Buck have their own land and their mares. Diablo is now at the High Chaparral permanently, remember. Mano'll always want to check on the stallion." John smiled at this thought. Part of his arrangement with Buck and Mano allowed him to use Diablo as stud with the Chaparral horses, a most satisfactory deal all around.

"Yes, but…"

"But?"

"But, eventually, they will be here at Rancho Montoya always."

"Yes, but that will be awhile, Victoria, at least till your uncle decides he no longer wants to be the patrón, and from the looks of Domingo, I don't expect that anytime soon."

"It is a bit amusing, is it not, John?"

"What?"

"That my brother, who sought his whole life to avoid responsibility, now has the responsibility of three ranches and a wife!"

"Well, you know things were bound to change sometime," John smiled. "And I think Mano's done well."

"Oh yes, I love Carmen. She is perfect for him. And you know, John, Tío arranged the initial meeting. The rest was up to them."

"Yes it was. Seems you Montoyas are pretty good at arranging things," John smiled as he drew her close and kissed her. She smiled and returned the embrace as the front door blew open and Buck marched in, followed by the others.

"Oh, John, I am so happy," Victoria exclaimed, her eyes shining as she looked at the rest of her family.

"We is all happy, Victoria," Buck, overhearing, exclaimed. "We are happy them Vargases are gone. Oh, pardon me, Carmen."

"No. I feel exactly the same, although I shall miss Mamá and Hector," Carmen responded. Mano still grimaced at the thought of his mother-in-law, but the Doña no longer frightened him as she once had.

"Well, regardless, they are all gone," Mano announced, his voice relieved. And not soon enough, he thought.

"Um, what are your plans?" John Cannon asked, changing the subject.

"Oh, Manolo is taking me to Hermosillo…"Carmen began.

"In a few days," Mano clarified.

"And then we will visit Rancho Navarro. And then we hope to come to Arizona!"

Victoria clapped her hands and John smiled. "That will be wonderful!" Victoria proclaimed.

"Yes, it will," John affirmed. "And that will give us a little time to get ready for you."

"Oh, please do nothing special," Mano insisted. "We will be quite comfortable as things are. And it will not be for some time. We will spend at least a month at Rancho Navarro, then swing back by here to see how Tío is getting along without us." They all smiled at the thought that Tío Domingo might need them.

"I am glad to hear that," Domingo added, blowing a stream of cigar smoke. "This will always be your home, you know," he purred with his customary inscrutable smile. "I do not wish to be a lonely old man."

"Gracias, Tío," Carmen exclaimed, giving him a light kiss. Uncle, you are smooth, Mano thought. Smooth. Anyone could learn a few things from you. Even me.

"Yes, well, what of you all?" Mano asked.

"Oh, we'll head out tomorrow," John said as Victoria nodded. "Work is piling up at the ranch and it won't wait. Can't stay gone forever."

"Yes, Buck and I have been here for over a month!" Victoria exclaimed.

"We shore have, Victoria. An' I gotta check on our mares, Mano. See if Wind needs anythin'. It's about time for Diablo to do his bizness."

"I hope you are keeping accurate accounts, Buck," Mano said, remembering the business side of their horse breeding enterprise. He had almost forgotten about record keeping and tallies in the excitement of the last few months of meeting and marrying Carmen.

"I am, S'nor Montoya," Buck replied, defensive. "Or I was till somebody decided to get married. You know who's been purty good at all that?" Buck asked. "Wind, that's who. Señor Ruiz showed him all about keeping track of what mare was bred to what stallion and what the outcome was. Bottom line, we got us a pretty good set-up. I think you'll be pleased with the re-sults even if you ain't bin around to keep book."

"I am sure I will, Buck," Mano answered, placing his hand on Buck's shoulder. "I meant no criticism. And thank you for being here this last month. It has meant the world to us to have you and my sister at Rancho Montoya." Buck grinned.

"Enough of this standing," Don Domingo interjected. "We must sit down. But first, Señor Cannon, could I interest you in a game of chess?"

"Yes, you could, Don Domingo. You could indeed," John boomed.

"My brother's chess set is in my study. Shall we?"

"Let's," John Cannon replied and the two men made for the office. Uh oh, Mano thought, watching them go. After the last time at the Chaparral when these two played...chihuahua, John takes his chess seriously and Tío never offers to play anything he cannot win. Perhaps this would be a good time for Carmen…

"Miss Carmen," Buck interrupted his amigo's thoughts. "Would you like us to take a little ride, jes you an' me, an' leave these chest players and brother an' sister alone fer a bit?" Carmen smiled and nodded her agreement. She did not know that Victoria had put him up to this, but Mano figured it out. His sister wanted to have a private talk. Ay Bendita, not another one. He blew out his breath.

"Oh yes, Buck! Give me a minute to change!" Carmen cried, turning to run upstairs and missing the exchange of looks between Buck and Victoria which did not go unnoticed by Mano. Maybe it is time for _this_ family to leave also, Mano thought.

"I'll go tell the stable hands to saddle us a couple a horses an' meet you outside, missy," Buck said with a grin. He looked at Mano, then spun on his heels to head out of doors. Sister and brother were left alone and after they watched the others exit, they turned to each other. Mano shrugged as his sister walked over to him.

 _VKS & MJRod claim the creation of Carmen Navarro, although we took her first name from a David Dortort script proposal. We also are the creators of the Vargas clan , Rancho Navarro and its people including Delgado, and all of the characters in and around Hermosillo. We would have nothing to create were it not for our favorite western, "The High Chaparral," to which we pay tribute._


	6. Chapter 6

**La Luna de Miel Chapter Six: Brother and Sister**

"Manolito, I am so happy," Victoria began, taking her brother's arm and looking into his eyes with a loving and innocent expression, although his sister was never without guile of a sort. "I _would_ like to have a word with you, though." He forced a tight smile. Of course you do, sister. She led him outside, to the back veranda, where they sat together on a wrought iron bench. Mano opened the conversation this time.

"Victoria, I am glad you are glad. But before you start, you should know that this word you wish to have with me has already been spoken by Padre Sanchez, the Doña Dolores, and Carmen herself. Even Buck, in his own way." What Buck had said was something rather crude, to the effect that Mano was no longer a stallion with many mares. And something about plowing only one row. Mano had gotten the drift if not the syntax and told him to keep his advice to himself. But Mano had listened to his friend.

"Oh? And what word is that?" Victoria asked.

"That I am to be faithful to her. Not to carouse. No other women. No mistresses, and so on. Please, Victoria, believe me. I will do this thing."

"I am so fond of her already, Mano. And now that you mention it, those are important things. But this is not why I wanted to talk to you."

"No?"

"No, Manolo. it is just that I have realized things have changed for us, for you and for me. And I wanted to tell you that I am so glad that you came to live at the High Chaparral when I married John, and that you stayed, my brother."

"Hermanita mía, that was my pleasure," Mano replied with a smile, patting her hand. "And probably my salvation, too, the way things were going." She nodded in agreement as he continued. "John Cannon is a good man and I know you are happy. This means the world to me. But I owe him much, too. It has been a good thing. And we will come often."

"I hope so, Mano. And I hope you and Carmen have many children and..."

"Hey, momento, hermanita…"

"Listen to me! And that they will know and love us in Arizona is very important to me, Manolito. I do not wish to be a stranger to my nieces, nephews, sister-in-law, or my brother."

"You could never be this, Doña Victoria de Soto y Velasquez de Montoya de Cannon."

"Good. Now all is said. John and I want you and Carmen to know that you are always welcome. He has said so himself."

"Gracias, hermanita mía. We will not stay away. You may well become tired of us. I still wish to help during large cattle drives. Our horses. Buck's and my rancho. Business and family will keep us in Arizona months of each year. And Carmen will love spending time at the ranch with you."

"I am glad."

He kissed her on the cheek. "Well what to do now? You have arranged for Buck to take away my Carmen for at least an hour, I am sure." She laughed as he continued. "John and Tío are playing chess. I think we had best not go near that game."

'No indeed, Manolo."

"Hey, what about?" he began, eyebrows raised.

"Oh yes!" she cried, eyes shining.

"Target practice!" they both exclaimed, laughing. He rose to fetch his gun belt and pistola, she to retrieve her derringer and to change into riding clothes and boots, something more suitable for walking outside. They would go beyond the corrals near the stables, as they had as niños, where they would prop up whatever they could find-old tin cans, blocks of wood, rocks-on a crate placed in front of a small hillock in back. They were careful to shoot away from the house and to have the stable hands stack old boards and even a few bales of hay behind their targets to absorb stray bullets. They were both good shots. Papá had first shown them; Mano, who caught on faster, had taken over Victoria's instruction when they were young. Soon she had become pretty good, almost as good as he when they were niños and better than any other girl he knew.

This day they placed bets on the outcome. Mano allowed Victoria to use his pistola part of the time. She owed him five pesos when the contest was over, a bet he would never even try to collect, but she had won a few rounds, too. They laughed as they had not laughed in some time, retelling stories from their childhood as they recalled them, reminiscing. They walked about the stables and grounds, still talking, when they tired of shooting. Two hours later, give or take, Buck and Carmen rode in and the four headed inside for the late afternoon meal, assuming John and Domingo's chess match had concluded. Ay yi yi, let us hope it was a draw, Mano thought, as he opened the door to the hacienda.

 _VKS & MJRod claim the creation of Carmen Navarro, although we took her first name from a David Dortort script proposal. We also are the creators of the Vargas clan , Rancho Navarro and its people including Delgado, and all of the characters in and around Hermosillo. We would have nothing to create were it not for our favorite western, "The High Chaparral," to which we pay tribute._


	7. Chapter 7

**La Luna de Miel Chapter Seven: Holiday**

The chess match appeared to have had an amicable ending. John, nursing a brandy, sat in a brocade armchair. Tío Domingo, cigar in one hand and snifter of brandy in the other, seemed content on the red velvet sofa. As they entered, Mano saw John leaning forward as if making a point, but both men looked up and smiled when the four from outside made their presence known.

"Well, which one of ya won the chest game?" Buck asked, hoping to provoke a rise. Neither man answered; instead both grinned.

"We shall resume our competition later," Domingo purred, blowing a stream of smoke.

A light afternoon meal was served, followed by cards, more chess, siestas, and reading-an unaccustomed holiday for ranchers who knew no holidays. A gift of leisure, just this once, Victoria thought. Let us enjoy this day. She even persuaded John to take a walk in the garden with her. Dinner was early: the men groomed and dressed as they had been for the wedding; the women in silk and satin and lace, radiant amid china, crystal and silver: polite, elegant, subdued, and over by 9:00 so all could go to bed early enough to attend sunrise mass in the Montoya chapel that Padre Sanchez had been invited to conduct the next morning, Sunday. Sunrise? Mano grimaced when Domingo made the announcement at dinner. John hemmed and hawed about needing to pull out early, but Carmen and Victoria gushed so much about the special service that objections vanished as all retired after dinner and cognac.

* * *

"This has been an almost perfect day, mi corazón," Carmen said to Mano as they collapsed in bed, finally alone but exhausted that night.

"Almost?" he reached for her and she rolled over to look him in the face, pulling the ivory bed linens up as she did, wrapping herself in them.

"Sí. Almost. I was apart from you too much, beloved," she said. "My mother, what did she say to you?"

"Oh, the Doña Dolores? Well," he chuckled and kissed her cheek. "She said you were always to be very, very good to me and to make love to me whenever I wanted. She said I was the best thing that has ever happened to you, We were…"

She shut his mouth with a kiss. "Now I know that you are lying."

"All right. We had a good talk, chiquita. Your mother does not think I am good enough _for_ you, but she concedes that, if I am good _to_ you, I might work out. I think she is reserving judgment."

"Mamá never reserves judgment. I think she is growing fond of you. Es un milagro," she added, then frowned. "Another thing, Manolo, I have been thinking."

"Uh oh," he reached for her again, to stroke her hair.

"Yes, I think that you and Buck may have cheated your sister and me at euchre this afternoon. I believe you passed the deal to Buck when it should have been our turn."

"Beloved, would we do that?" he asked, kissing her hand and swallowing his laughter.

"Yes, and more than once. It is not funny, Manolo!"

"But you and my sister were talking so much, eh, how would you know?" His lips moved to her mouth...and elsewhere.

"Next time, mi corazón, I shall watch you! You will not escape," she affirmed, half amused, feigning annoyance.

"I do not wish to escape, beloved. But, do you think we might dispense with some of this talking for now?" She smiled and returned his kiss and embrace and the linens seemed to fall away.

* * *

Buck grinned the next morning as they all sat in the chapel. I ain't no Catholic, but I sure wasn't gonna miss this, he thought. Yep, John an' the boys is here, too, like I thought. Course Pedro is a Catholic. An' look how purty Carmen and Victoria are this morning. Almost like angels. Looks like we all made it to church, even Mano, who looks kinda tired but boy he shore looks happy. Little gal will be good for him. Now if I could just understand when to stand and when to kneel, I'd be aw right with the good padre here.

Padre Sanchez blessed all present-friends, family, servants who were both-affirming with his benediction the changes in the family and praying for their individual and collective futures and eternal salvation before accepting coffee and a contribution, then returning to Casa Cueva astride his burro to hold mass there as usual.

As usual. All seemed as usual as the Cannons prepared to depart and all took their leave with handshakes and hugs all around. Mano shook the hands of Joe, Sam, Reno, and Pedro, thanking them for coming.

"Wouldn't a missed it, amigo," Sam replied in a deep voice. The others nodded.

"No, we wouldn't," Reno said.

'Yeah. Sure glad Mr. Cannon let us come," Joe added.

"Sí, es verdad, and now Joe owes me five dollars," Pedro chimed in. "He bet me that you would not go through with this wedding."

"Really, Joe?" Mano asked, amused.

"That's a fact," Joe admitted. "But that was before I met Miz Carmen." They all chuckled and moved on to the horses after tipping their hats to Carmen and Don Domingo.

Buck grabbed Carmen and swung her around in a bear hug. "Now missy, if you need help keeping that cabeza dura in line," he exclaimed, indicating Mano, "you jes call Uncle Buck." She laughed and kissed him on the cheek.

John and Mano clasped each other on the shoulder as they shook hands, looking the other straight in the eye.

"I'm happy for you both, Mano. Don't be a stranger."

"We won't, John. Gracias for...everything, compadre."

"Am-eego!" Buck and Mano embraced. "You take care of Missy Carmen, ya hear?"

"And you take care of our horses, sí?" Mano laughed. Then he paused. "Hey, Buck, muchísimas gracias, compadre, for everything," he said, putting his arm around Buck's shoulder. "You are..." his voice trailed off as his throat caught. When would he see his gran amigo again? Soon, he hoped. Soon. Buck nodded and punched him in the arm. He knew. No words were needed.

Mano next hugged Victoria and helped her into the buckboard. accepting the kiss on his cheek that she leaned down to bestow.

"Take care, hermanita mía. Gracias por todos. Te quiero."

Her eyes moist, she smiled, "Te quiero también, Manolo." She had earlier hugged and kissed Carmen and Tío Domingo, but she wanted to save her goodbye to her brother for the last. The Cannons and the men, also their friends, headed out of the grand arches, north to Tucson. Don Domingo turned to walk inside. Mano and Carmen watched until the buckboard and horses moved out of sight.

 _VKS & MJRod claim the creation of Carmen Navarro, although we took her first name from a David Dortort script proposal. We also are the creators of the Vargas clan , Rancho Navarro and its people including Delgado, and all of the characters in and around Hermosillo. We would have nothing to create were it not for our favorite western, "The High Chaparral," to which we pay tribute._


	8. Chapter 8

**La Luna de Miel Chapter Eight: Honeymoon**

A knock at the chamber door the next morning roused Mano, who blinked open his eyes to find Carmen resting in his arms as they lay together in the most magnificent of beds Tío Domingo had ordered from a craftsman in Hermosillo as a wedding night surprise. Carmen stirred at the noise, pulled up the sheets as cover, and looked at her husband.

"Don Manolo, el desayuno está aquí," came the voice of Pepe, outside the door.

"Gracias, Pepe. You may leave it outside," Mano called in reply, unfolding his arm from his wife and edging to the side of the bed to sit up. Still groggy from sleep, he waited a moment before standing and stretching, with a yawn. Yesterday they bid the Cannons farewell and Carmen and he spent the day riding horses and playing cards with Don Domingo: blackjack and five card stud, gambling for matchsticks. Mano knew a fair amount about both games but he was not so foolish as to challenge his uncle for real money. Tío explained strategies that worked for him when betting and why, and Mano and Carmen listened well.

"In this situation, I would not take another card. Stand. Let the dealer take the risk."

"But Tío Domingo, what if I have 18 showing and the dealer has a face card?

"Then you have everything to lose. Stand. Always stand from 17 to, of course, 21. These are the odds, mi sobrina."

* * *

The newlyweds had retired early that evening on this quietest of Sundays. Before heading to bed, Mano had asked Pepe to send breakfast to their room and advised Tío that they wished to sleep in. Tío had nodded with a smile and a puff of the ever present cigar. And so they had.

Because they were newlyweds, the night had not been passed entirely in sleeping, and Mano glanced down to make sure he wore the white peón's pants he favored as pajamas. He made his way to the door, opening it and reaching down to pick up the tray, which he carried in and set down on a small table. He poured coffee for Carmen and himself from the silver coffee pot, adding cream to hers, leaving his black, as he preferred. Keeping the silver carafe on the table, he joined her in bed, bringing with him the tray with coffee cups, napkins, and a plate of pan dulce, bread topped with a crust of sugar and cinnamon, which she liked.

"Gracias, mi corazón," Carmen smiled, sitting up against the headboard, sheets still pulled up, as she accepted the coffee. "The tray may go here, between us. Ah, I have always dreamed of breakfast in bed."

"Your dreams have been much different than mine, then," Mano laughed as he settled next to her, kissing her under the ear before taking a drink of coffee and setting the cup down on the table at his side of the bed. He helped himself to the sweet bread, as did she.

"This is lovely, Manolito. I do not have the right to be this happy."

"You do not have the right to be this beautiful, Carmenita mía."

"Do we even need to go to Hermosillo for a luna de miel? Tío Domingo is so wonderful and he leaves us alone in this enormous casa," she said. "We could just stay here and then go to Rancho Navarro." Mano stayed quiet for a moment, thinking.

"No," he said at last. "No. This is our only chance to escape from life for more than a night, just the two of us, before the world encroaches. Even if we are here, I will soon be discussing business with Tío. It always goes this way. Look at my sister and brother-in-law. The High Chaparral consumes them. No. We must have these days. The opera, the theatre, the restaurants...the hotel." He smiled. "Just you and me. It must be so."

"All right, mi vida. I only suggested it."

"Besides, your mother and Hector have given us money for this luna de miel. What would she think if I did not spend it that way? I would have to explain this to her, and this I do not care to do. Let us spend the day packing and sorting what we will bring to Hermosillo and then Rancho Navarro. We will have Jorge drive us to the city tomorrow, and, a week or so hence, we can take the stage to Guaymas."

"Cajeme is closer to the rancho, Mano. The stage to Cajeme would be better. I will wire Señor Delgado from Hermosillo that we are coming. Men from Rancho Navarro go to Cajeme almost every day. Señor Delgado will send a man to meet us, if we specify the time, or we can always arrange for a carriage ourselves."

"Bueno," Mano said. "As for us now, I say, let us enjoy breakfast and take our time getting up and around. I told Tío he may not see us till early this afternoon."

"Oh, yes! Not to have to be anywhere, oh, what a luxury, Manolo."

"I know I am tired. All of this wedding. Exhausting."

"Well, mi corazón, from what I can tell, it is not just the wedding that has made you so tired," she said with a coy smile. Mano grinned.

"Sí, es verdad. Carmen, Never did I believe such joy or freedom possible as when I am with you. You make me so very happy. I still cannot believe I found you."

"You know, Manolo, I sometimes think, how did we meet? Why?"

"What? You know. At the ball honoring the governor at the presidential palace."

"But why there? With my brother's reputation, why in the world would the governor of Sonora put him on the list of guests? It makes no sense."

"The Rancho Navarro is in Sonora."

"Yes, but that was Antonio's family. Not mine."

"Hmmm. I never thought of it. You were considered one of the most eligible women in all Mexico City, that much I knew. Tío pointed you out to me and…" he broke off.

"And?"

"Oh no, it cannot be. Tío?" Mano exclaimed. "Chihuahua, why did I not see this before? After Mamá died, Papá paraded me like a prize stallion, trying to arrange this match or that. When I could take it no longer, I just rode off. Again and again. I did some pretty bad things, Carmen, trying to avoid marriage."

"Well, I guess Tío's strategy was more effective than your father's," Carmen smiled. "And I am certainly glad." She took a drink of coffee and a bite of bread.

"Yes, that old gambler. He knew enough not to tip his hand where I was concerned. That is something Papá never learned," Mano laughed and shook his head. "Oh well, it was time."

"You should have seen the idiots Carlos tried to find for me," Carmen said. "Now that I think about it, perhaps I was the prize to pay off his gambling debts. It makes me shudder."

"Well, we cannot choose our families," Mano said. Or can we? he wondered.

"Mi vida, I choose yours over mine."

"Carmen, you did not know my father," Mano sighed, then looked at her. "Actually, I believe he would have adored you. As do I." She smiled and he took her coffee cup and placed it on the table beside him, so that he could draw her closer for a kiss and perhaps, if he played his cards right, something more.

 _VKS & MJRod claim the creation of Carmen Navarro, although we took her first name from a David Dortort script proposal. We also are the creators of the Vargas clan , Rancho Navarro and its people including Delgado, and all of the characters in and around Hermosillo. We would have nothing to create were it not for our favorite western, "The High Chaparral," to which we pay tribute._


	9. Chapter 9

**La Luna de Miel Chapter Nine: Hermosillo**

After a quiet day of sleeping in, packing trunks, and playing cards, they bid farewell to Don Domingo the following morning after breakfast, bags loaded for Hermosillo and Rancho Navarro.

"Gracias, Tío, for everything," Mano said, embracing his uncle. He had grown fond of the old gambler, now no longer a ne-er do well, but the family patriarch. There is hope for us all, Mano mused. Tío may not love me as well as Papá, but he may understand me better. He regretted this thought as somehow disloyal to his father, but it was the truth nonetheless.

"My beautiful niece, you will take care of my nephew?" Domingo said with a smile, accepting a kiss and hug from Carmen.

"I think he will take care of me, Tío," she smiled.

Mano lifted Carmen into the covered carriage and they settled in the backseat, while Jorge drove. Jorge's brother Miguel, also a Montoya vaquero, rode along on his horse as added protection. After the fiasco in Nevermore two years before, Mano never again intended to leave on a trip without at least one man on horseback as a safeguard. Besides, Jorge would need some company coming back. The buggy jostled and rumbled along the Hermosillo road. Not many miles out, Carmen, lulled by the rocking of the carriage, leaned against Mano and fell asleep. He kept his arm around her as he watched the lofty saguaros and distant mountains give way to harsh rocky land and, finally, the flatlands of Hermosillo, nestled among granite and sandstone foothills. Carmen, who drifted in and out of sleep during the four hour ride, awoke in time to see Spanish churches and buildings loom into view as they reached the road into the city.

"Oh, Manolo, look at the fountain!" Carmen exclaimed as the carriage bumped along the brick drive encircling a massive stone fountain in front of the magnificent Hotel Nacional, Water spurted from the mouths of marble nymphs and a central stone swan crowned its elegance. Even Mano was impressed by the hotel's colonnaded stucco facade sporting polished brass gaslights and wrought iron ornamentation. Large carved stone steps led to gleaming wood and cut glass doors.

"Gracias," Mano said, nodding to both Montoya men and slipping Jorge two twenty peso notes as they unloaded the two trunks which hotel attendants scurried to carry inside. "Get yourselves something to eat before heading back, eh?" He knew that was enough for food, drink, and something to spare. Jorge acknowledged the gesture with a smile. "We shall see you in a month or two, sí? Keep yourselves out of trouble!" Mano exclaimed with a grin as he helped Carmen out of the carriage.

"Whoa, beloved, let me help you," he said, noticing that she seemed a bit unsteady as she stepped down. The journey has been a strain, he thought. We have traveled far and fast, without much sleep beforehand. "Are you all right, mi corazón?"

"Gracias, Manolo, I am fine. Just a bit tired," she replied. "Oh, Manolo, isn't this beautiful?" They proceeded up the steps, Carmen leaning against her husband's arm.

 _VKS & MJRod claim the creation of Carmen Navarro, although we took her first name from a David Dortort script proposal. We also are the creators of the Vargas clan , Rancho Navarro and its people including Delgado, and all of the characters in and around Hermosillo. We would have nothing to create were it not for our favorite western, "The High Chaparral," to which we pay tribute._


	10. Chapter 10

**Luna de Miel Chapter Ten: The Hotel Nacional**

Liveried doormen held open the weighty glass and wooden doors for them at the top of the steps. As they neared the entrance, a bearded man scooted past, brushing against Carmen without even a word. Rude, thought Mano. And his dress this time of year-odd that he wears a heavy woollen suit. As if to verify the oddity, Mano scanned the grand foyer, seeing only thin capes and lightweight attire before his attention was diverted.

"May I help you, señor?" a mincing voice inquired.

"Reservación. Señor y Señora Manolo de Montoya," he replied to the clerk, a wizened middle aged man, thin with a narrow moustache, who waited behind an enormous carved mahogany front desk.

"Ah, Señor Montoya, how privileged we are to having you staying with us. The bridal suite has been prepared and you may go up immediately." The clerk rang the desk bell and a bellhop skipped across the marble foyer to take care of the luggage which the doorman had already placed by the desk. The hotel manager, a tall man with wiry black hair and a full moustache, emerged to introduce himself as Señor Garza and to welcome them also before stepping back into his office behind the desk.

"This way please, Señor Montoya." the bellhop squeaked in a voice that revealed his youth. He led them to a fine carpeted staircase with polished mahogany banisters and balustrades. Brass and crystal gaslight chandeliers sparkled and illuminated the rich interior of the hotel with its thick carpets, shining marble floors, gleaming mahogany furniture, velvet upholstery, and satin draperies.

"I feel a bit dizzy, Manolito," Carmen admitted. He kept a firm hold on her arm, ready to catch her should she stumble, as they ascended three flights of stairs. Must be the heat, he thought. The bellhop wheezed his way up, pulling one heavy trunk, leaving the other below to be fetched later.

"Oh, it is lovely, Manolo!" Carmen exclaimed as the bellhop unlocked the door to their quarters and stepped aside for them to enter. "How many rooms? Three? A sitting area! And a separate dressing area? Oooh, look at the bed!" she said, peering in the bedroom where Mano had already gone to investigate that item of furniture. A grand four-poster, almost as ornate as their new bed at home. At least we'll be comfortable, he thought.

"Mi vida?" she called from the doorway.

"Coming Carmen," and he reappeared in their sitting room, dodging the bellhop carrying the trunk into the bedchamber. "What is it my love?" The bellhop scurried past to fetch the second trunk, bowing to Mano who tipped him and asked him to send up a maid to help Carmen unpack.

"Did you notice that strange man we saw below, the one wearing that heavy suit?" Carmen asked as the bellhop scooted out the door.

"I saw him walking into the hotel, if that's what you mean. He almost ran into you."

"No, in the lobby. Did you see him in the lobby?"

"No. I did not notice."

"He was sitting next to another man, also bearded. They had a newspaper between them," she said as she removed her jacket and hat, unpinning and loosening her hair and tossing her head and long, black curls."They were dressed oddly. As if for winter."

"They may have come from somewhere cold and not realized how much warmer it is in Sonora."

"Yes, but the newspaper was in French. I noticed the headlines."

"That's not so strange, dearest. There are many visitors to this country."

"I would expect to see them in Mexico City, but Hermosillo?" She moved to the bedroom to hang up her jacket. He followed.

"Perhaps they are touring the region."

"If they were, they would know about our climate, surely?"

"Hmm." Mano also thought these details perhaps strange but insignificant. "Well, it does not matter to us, beloved. We are in a charming suite. We have tickets for the theatre tonight and a reservation for a lovely supper afterwards in one of the finest restaurants in the city."

"Oh where, Mano? Maison Georges? El Gaucho?"

"No, and I am _not_ telling you. You will have to be patient," he replied, taking her in his arms. She smiled and kissed him, both happier than they had ever been.

 _VKS & MJRod claim the creation of Carmen Navarro, although we took her first name from a David Dortort script proposal. We also are the creators of the Vargas clan , Rancho Navarro and its people including Delgado, and all of the characters in and around Hermosillo. We would have nothing to create were it not for our favorite western, "The High Chaparral," to which we pay tribute._


	11. Chapter 11

**Luna de Miel Chapter Eleven: Siesta**

A knock at the door of their suite sounded. The maid, Mano thought, as he pulled away from Carmen and strode over to answer it. "Permiso?" asked a prim señora, her gray hair in a severe bun. Mano nodded, taking the pitcher of water from her. The bellhop took this moment to scuttle in and out with the second and lighter trunk.

"Ayuda la señora, por favor," Mano said to the maid with a smile as he stepped aside to let the bellhop pass. "I know what to do with this," he continued, indicating the pitcher. The pitcher he carried to a dry sink in the bathroom where an ornate china bowl stood with a stack of small linen cloths beside. The maid busied herself unpacking Carmen's dresses and gowns, hanging them in the wardrobe in the dressing area. He returned to the sitting room, leaving the door to the bedroom open in case he was needed. He could hear the conversation between Carmen and the servant.

"The turquoise one, por favor," Carmen indicated the dress she desired to wear that evening. The maid hung this apart, shaking out the full skirt.

"It does not appear to need pressing, madam," the maid said.

"No, leave it. And gracias," Carmen answered with a polite smile as she removed her shoes. The maid helped her out of her traveling clothes and into a robe. Carmen then settled atop the bed. She was still so tired; perhaps a short nap would help. Mano tipped the maid on her way out and then edged into the bedroom to look at his wife, now resting. Better let her have a nice siesta. She is exhausted. And so beautiful, even asleep.

* * *

He tiptoed into the bathroom, where he stripped off his shirt, hanging it on a hook, then washed and shaved, using water from the pitcher to fill the bowl on top of the dry sink. He rinsed his hair as well, slipping on the man's robe he found hanging in the bathroom. With a towel around his neck, he edged out of the bathroom and bedroom into the sitting area to settle on the sofa and rest himself. He dozed at last, awaking with a start to check the time on the gold pocket watch Carmen had given him as a wedding gift. Oh no, already 5:30! He sprang from the sofa, rushing into the bedroom to wake his wife.

"Mi corazón, it is time to rise. You have been asleep two hours! Por favor, we must quickly freshen up and change. We must be in the lobby again in thirty minutes."

Carmen's eyes popped open. "Mano!" she cried as she jumped up and rushed past him into the bathroom. "Call for a maid. I must bathe!" She said other things, and he was reminded of how his sister might scold him. He caught the word "bruto," among many interjections and laughed. He had not meant to make her late. He rang for the maid-two pulls for bathwater, the engraved card beside the bell cord read-and busied himself rummaging for his evening clothes in the smaller of the trunks,

"Servicio," came the call from outside their rooms in five minutes. Mano opened the door to let in the same maid followed by four attendants bearing large cauldrons of steaming water to fill the tub so that la señora could bathe. He stepped out of the way, ducking behind a screen in the bedroom to begin changing his clothes. He donned his black suit, white ruffled shirt, black string tie, and black leather boots. A glance in the mirror as he combed his hair and straightened his tie told him that yes, he looked good. He slipped into the sitting room as the attendants scurried away. There he waited, checking the time on his pocket watch. Thirty minutes passed. Then thirty-five. Forty.

"Beloved, you look beautiful," he exclaimed, looking up from his watch as Carmen walked into the sitting room. Dark hair piled atop her head and crowned with a lace mantilla, the string of pearls he had bought her in Mexico City around her throat, her elegant neck enhanced by the plunging neckline of a black and turquoise gown, she took his breath away. No Spanish lady could have looked lovelier. The maid, who had stayed to help her dress, smiled at the additional tip he supplied and slipped out. Carmen beamed.

"Shall we?" he offered his arm as they left the room to descend the stairs into the grand lobby.

They stood at the front desk as the manager called for their carriage. As he surveyed the lobby, Mano noticed the two bearded strangers still sitting in armchairs, still wearing their suits, a French newspaper discarded on a coffee table in front of them. Settling Carmen in a chair, he strolled toward the men, pretending to look out of the cut glass windows in the door and down the street to see if the carriage were coming, but really desiring to overhear their conversation. The few words he caught made him wish he had not eavesdropped, but Tío would have been proud of the straight poker face that he kept.

 _VKS & MJRod claim the creation of Carmen Navarro, although we took her first name from a David Dortort script proposal. We also are the creators of the Vargas clan , Rancho Navarro and its people including Delgado, and all of the characters in and around Hermosillo. We would have nothing to create were it not for our favorite western, "The High Chaparral," to which we pay tribute._


	12. Chapter 12

**La Luna de Miel Chapter Twelve: El Lago**

"Señor y Señora Montoya, your carriage!" the doorman announced. Mano and Carmen walked outside and climbed aboard. A lively evening stretched before them, but Mano's thoughts returned to the two strangers in the hotel as the carriage jostled along. It was true that full beards were fashionable, but the men's looked too full. Their shoes. Ah, that was it. Their shoes were heavy soled boots that seemed out of place even with common woollen suits. As the carriage pulled up to the theatre, his attention was drawn to Carmen, who still seemed a little out of sorts.

"Dearest, are you quite well?"

"Manolo I am fine. Please stop worrying. Let us enjoy tonight. I am so looking forward to our evening, especially as I know neither what play we are seeing nor where we are dining later." And she flashed a dazzling smile that eclipsed all thought of illness. Noticing the playbill at the theatre's entrance Carmen exclaimed with glee, "Ah, Isabel Prieto's 'Los Dos Son Peores'! Oh Manolo, how charming! I read the reviews in the papers in Mexico City. I have wanted to see this. How did you know?"

"I hope it does not live up to its title, 'The Two Are Worse,' at any rate," Mano said with a wry grin, resembling his uncle more than he might imagine at that moment. They spent a marvelous evening at the theatre, laughing at the jokes and silliness of the suitors, commiserating with the poor but picky Pepa about her choices or lack thereof. Escapism of the best sort, the play amused and relaxed them.

"Did you enjoy that, my love?" he asked afterward, escorting her to the sidewalk.

"Oh yes, Manolo. So amusing! But now, mi corazón, I am hungry."

"And we have only to walk around the corner."

"Ah, you have planned this well!"

Jorge had planned this well, Mano thought. El Lago de los Cisnes, a popular restaurant awaited. Despite its name, swan was not on the menu, but some very fine French cuisine had garnered praise from the best families in Hermosillo. Getting a table had been quite a feat for poor Jorge, so he had told Manolito. I just hope he was right, Mano thought. He was.

Dinner was magnificent. French onion soup followed by crisp duck roasted in wine and fruit jus that melted in the mouth. Delicate saffron rice. Haricots verts or green beans, Mano noted. A small green salad followed the main course and was itself succeeded by a velvety lemon tart that pleased the palate with its light crust and combination of sweet and sour. The wine complemented each course: rich flavors interwoven to feed body and soul. By the time the sommelier arrived to discuss cognacs, they were both too full to care but ordered a fine Armagnac just the same.

"Why not? We shall only have one luna de miel, mi corazón," Carmen had agreed when the sommelier suggested the cognac, which they both sipped, their eyes heavy-lidded but their hearts full.

 _VKS & MJRod claim the creation of Carmen Navarro, although we took her first name from a David Dortort script proposal. We also are the creators of the Vargas clan , Rancho Navarro and its people including Delgado, and all of the characters in and around Hermosillo. We would have nothing to create were it not for our favorite western, "The High Chaparral," to which we pay tribute._


	13. Chapter 13

**La Luna de Miel Chapter Thirteen: For Better or Worse**

Mano had arranged for the hotel carriage to retrieve them from El Lago at 11, and it was waiting outside as they left the restaurant. Carmen faltered as she stepped up into the carriage, but Mano steadied her. She brushed aside his concern and blamed her lack of balance on too much fine wine, but he was not reassured. This was not like her, he thought, still to be dizzy. She must be ill. Our hotel will have a doctor in residence or at least one who could be called on short notice. He would inquire of the manager. For now, he contented himself with pulling her close, his lips brushing against her forehead, which also seemed warm.

Finding themselves once more in the grand lobby, waiting for the manager to retrieve the key to their room, Mano noticed the same two bearded men now talking over a cup of coffee at a distant table. He had no chance to overhear their latest conversation, but he recalled what had alarmed him earlier. They had been speaking about the governor's residence in Hermosillo, how often the guards changed, something about side entrances...and other things about the house itself that Mano could not quite catch. His French was rusty and the men spoke in low voices.

"Manolo, please may we go upstairs now?" Carmen's voice was strained and her eyes dull, unfocused. "I feel faint."

"Of course, mi vida, at once." He gestured for the manager to take Carmen's other arm, and while the man did so, Mano whispered his concern and the need for a doctor. The man nodded and assisted them up the long staircase to their room, returning downstairs to send for medical help.

* * *

Once they were alone inside their rooms, Mano unfastened Carmen's gown and corset himself, helping her into her nightgown and robe and easing her into bed. She looked wan and tired. Within minutes, a knock sounded at the door. Mano opened it to find the manager and a stranger carrying a leather case.

"El doctor, Señor Montoya."

"Gracias. Buenas noches, doctor. Puedes ayudar a la señora," and he pointed to the bedroom behind him.

"Please let me know if you need something else, Señor Montoya," the manager said, nodding as he let himself out while Mano turned to follow the doctor.

The doctor moved to Carmen's side, removing instruments from his bag. Mano stood apart as he watched the physician use a stethoscope to listen to Carmen's heart. "Now, a deep breath, señora," the doctor instructed as he listened to her chest.

Mano watched as the man took her temperature, nodding for him to move closer. "Señor, a moment please. Por favor, take this light and shine it here," the doctor commanded, indicating where Mano should stand and hold an oil lamp to illumine Carmen's face, enabling the physician to check her ears with some sort of glass. "Keep the light here, Señor Montoya. Señora, por favor, say ahhhh," the doctor next directed, using a tongue depressor and peering into Carmen's throat. She complied. He asked her to cough as he replaced the stethoscope against her chest. She did. "Again." She coughed once more. "Gracias." He nodded for Mano to replace the light on the table.

"Permiso," the doctor said next, as he used his hands to poke and prod her abdomen and feel around her neck at the jawline. He unscrewed a bottle, poured some elixir into a metal cup, and instructed Carmen to drink. At last, examination concluded, the doctor covered his patient with a sheet and gestured for Mano to leave. "I shall speak to you in a moment, Señor, after I have had a word with your wife."

"What is it doctor? What is wrong with her?" Mano asked, his teeth on edge when the physician joined him in the sitting room moments later.

"Nothing to worry about Señor Montoya, nothing to alarm you. She has caught a cold, or encountered some bad air I suspect, and her system is fighting it off. Nothing more. No blood letting, no potions, I assure you she will be fine very soon. She just needs to rest, drink plenty of hot tea and eat sparingly for a day or two, and her health will be quite restored."

Mano slumped into the nearest chair and sighed. He had not realized he had been holding his breath as the doctor spoke until he exhaled.

"What a relief. Thank you doctor…eh?"

"Hernandez. Doctor Hernandez. I live close by and the manager knows how to reach me in case you become worried or Señora Montoya seems worse. But I do not think it is likely. She is suffering just a slight chill. Time and rest will do the trick. I have given her a dose of laudanum to help her sleep."

They shook hands and Mano pressed 50 pesos into the doctor's palm, squeezing it shut when the man started to protest. "You do not know how relieved I am, Dr. Hernandez. We shall call you if we need you." Visions of Mercedes, the fiancée who had died in his arms, had flashed into his mind earlier, despite his best efforts to banish them. Silly, he knew, but when one has endured the loss of a loved one, one overreacts.

"Gracias, Señor Montoya," the doctor bowed and left.

* * *

Mano took a deep breath and shook his head. He crept inside the bedroom to avoid waking Carmen, only to be stopped in his tracks by her voice. "I am not dead, Manolito, and perfectly able to hear you slinking about." She opened her eyes to a slit and sought his face.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, clasping her hand between both of his. "Mi amor, how are you feeling?"

"I am tired and my bones ache, but otherwise I am fine."

His hand brushed her hair away from her forehead. She still feels warm, he thought."You have a fever, just a slight one, I'm sure. You must stay in bed for a day or two and drink hot tea, doctor's orders." He forced a pleasant smile, but her reply showed him that he had been less than convincing in his attempt to appear nonchalant.

"Manolo, " Carmen spoke in a stern voice. She sounds like Victoria, he thought. No wait, she sounds like her mother. His eyes widened. "You are acting like an old woman," she continued. "I am _not_ dying! I am also _not_ Mercedes. You are to understand that if the doctor says I have..."

"a chill," he supplied.

"Then that is all that is wrong with me. A chill. It is _not_ life threatening, merely inconvenient."

"Yes, mi vida, whatever you say." his smile was warmer and more sincere this time. Her face relaxed and she allowed herself to sink into the pillows. "I will sleep on the couch, beloved, so that you can rest more quietly tonight," he suggested.

"You will do no such thing, Señor Montoya!" again the voice of Doña Dolores escaped from Carmen's mouth. "You will sleep beside me. We are man and wife and I will not have the hotel staff gossiping at our expense on our first night here. Do you understand?"

"Oh ho, do I have a choice?" What was this, the voice of his father from his lips? "Ay yi yi. All right, Señora Montoya. All right." He chuckled and nodded, leaning down to offer his bride a reassuring kiss on the lips, a kiss that turned rather more lengthy than he had intended. At last he extricated himself to prepare for bed.

"This is what Padre Sanchez meant by for better or worse, Manolito," she continued the lecture as he washed and changed into pajamas and robe. "This is worse. We shall also enjoy better. We have already enjoyed better, mi vida. I do not intend to die for a very long time. In fact, I suspect you will be the first to go."

"Oh you do, do you? I?"

"Without question. You are older. In the meantime, we are _not_ going to live as if we are afraid to die, Manolito," she proclaimed. Chihuahua, I have never been accused of that before, he thought.

"Well, chiquita, all I can say is I hope you are right. I never want to lose you," he replied as he joined her in bed, giving her a light kiss on the cheek and scooting over to allow her room. I still cannot believe this woman is completely my own, he thought. Manolo, you do not deserve her. He felt her hand reach for his and he rolled onto his back to clasp it, bringing her fingers to his lips as they fell asleep side by side.

 _VKS & MJRod claim the creation of Carmen Navarro, although we took her first name from a David Dortort script proposal. We also are the creators of the Vargas clan , Rancho Navarro and its people including Delgado, and all of the characters in and around Hermosillo. We would have nothing to create were it not for our favorite western, "The High Chaparral," to which we pay tribute._


	14. Chapter 14

**La Luna de Miel Chapter Fourteen: Miércoles en Hermosillo**

Mano rose first the next morning and rang the bell for service. Three rings for breakfast in the room he read on the engraved card. Who knows what they will bring, but I don't want to disturb Carmen, still sound asleep. Look at her. Beautiful even in the morning. He slipped on his robe and edged out of the bedroom to wait.

Ten minutes later, a knock sounded. "Servicio," a voice called, and he opened the door to find a waiter carrying a tray laden with flatware, linen, and shiny platters topped with silver covers. Hard on the waiter's heels followed the young bellhop bearing another tray on which rested two tall jugs, a smaller third jug and a silver teapot. They bustled past Mano and arranged the items on the low table by the sofa. Their work finished, they retreated, closing the door behind them after they closed their fists on the pesos Mano tipped them, Chihuahua, look at this, Mano thought as he surveyed the repast: pastries, coffee, milk, tea, cups, saucers, plates, spoons, knives, and forks. Beneath the covered, dishes, quién sabe? As soon as I lift the covers, the food will begin to cool. Better see if my wife...he paused, the word still new to him...better see if my wife is awake.

"Good morning, beloved," Carmen's voice greeted him. She must feel better, he mused. At least she is not speaking with the voice of the Doña Dolores.

"Ah, you are awake! How are you feeling this fine morning, my love?"

"Is it a fine morning?" she sat up in bed and stretched. "I cannot tell. The curtains are still closed." He drew the draperies and the sun shone on her face. She blinked and squinted into the brightness.

"Oh, forgive me, Carmen." He regretted causing her discomfort.

She smiled up at him, "Ah yes, beautiful indeed."

"Would you like some breakfast, mi vida? There is a fine selection in the sitting room. I could bring you a tray."

"I am not an invalid, Manolito. I would like to sit next to you so that we may enjoy our meal together," she replied, pulling off the covers, swinging out her legs, standing, and slipping on her robe which Mano held. "You are very solicitous, mi amor. I could get used to this." Placing her feet in her slippers, she excused herself to freshen up, then returned to walk arm in arm with him into the sitting area where they settled beside each other on the sofa. "Oh, look at these trays," she cooed. Husband and wife grasped a silver cover, cut their eyes at each other, then removed the lids at the same time with a playful flourish.

"Mano...eggs, bacon, potatoes...is that steak? A feast! Ay, after last night, I shall weigh 200 pounds before this luna de miel ends!" she exclaimed as they began to eat.

"I do not care if you do, mi corazón," he smiled, although in actuality, he was fond of her slim figure. She seems more like herself today, he thought. Still, we should stay in the hotel all day, nevertheless. But her next words scattered all his ideas like buckshot.

"So where shall we go today, my love? I hear they are building a new cathedral. We might look at that, or visit the new governor's mansion. I have heard it has a moorish courtyard. What do you think?" He poured their coffee before answering.

"Ah, well, querida, I think we should stay in the hotel and not go out at all," he replied at last. His words cascaded over them both like bad rocks in a landslide.

"If you think I am staying in here, on _our_ honeymoon, you are sadly mistaken, Señor Montoya," she responded, her voice not loud but determined. The words reverberated like warning gongs in his head. Her mother had warned him, hadn't she? He was supposed to keep his wife safe. He swallowed and paused a moment before displaying his most charming smile.

"Now Carmenita mía, por favor," he began in dulcet tones. "Let us just stay close to the hotel grounds today, for my sake?" She looked at him as she finished chewing and swallowing a mouthful of food.

"No, Manolo," she answered, emphatic. "I want to go out."

" _You_ want to go out?" the voice of Don Sebastian again rose from Mano's lips. "You are not well! It is impossible! Impossible!"

"Impossible? I think not. See, I can move my arms. I can move my body. Even my legs," Carmen replied, rising from the sofa. "If I put all these movements together, the impossible becomes possible: I can walk. Astonishing, is it not?" Then, in a honeyed tone, she added, "And now, mi vida, I am going to walk further...to the dressing area, after which you and I will go out." She paused, tilting her chin up and throwing him a sideways glance. "Or I will go out by myself. But outside I am determined to go." She strode into the bedroom, her back straight and her steps firm.

Caramba, Manolito, that went well, he thought. Just as smooth as your Tío, no? No. Absolutamente no. He sighed. Oh well, if you can't beat them. He ate several more bites of breakfast, drank his coffee, and made for the bedroom himself to prepare for the day.

 _VKS & MJRod claim the creation of Carmen Navarro, although we took her first name from a David Dortort script proposal. We also are the creators of the Vargas clan , Rancho Navarro and its people including Delgado, and all of the characters in and around Hermosillo. We would have nothing to create were it not for our favorite western, "The High Chaparral," to which we pay tribute._


	15. Chapter 15

**La Luna de Miel Chapter Fifteen:** **Intrigue**

"Ah, those men again" Carmen whispered as they sat sipping coffee and enjoying pastries at a sidewalk cafe. "They are coming this way." she breathed, at once feigning an interest in the local paper unfolded on the table between them as the two bearded men approached, still wearing heavy soled boots but without their woollen suit coats. They wore white shirts.

"Señores?" a waiter approached the men. The two were seated at a table just a few feet away, closer to the street than Carmen and Mano, but near enough so that that any conversation might be overheard by the young couple, both of whom had a passable command of French.

"Nous devrons choisir l'heure parfaite. Il faut que personne n'aurait le soupçon éveillé."

"Ca c'est le problème. Parce que les autres en ont déjà discuté."

"Mais…" the one furthest away dropped his voice and neither Mano nor Carmen could hear more. The men discussed keeping everything secret and choosing the perfect time. Time for what, Mano wondered? Carmen looked away.

* * *

In a bright voice Carmen said, loud enough for all at the sidewalk café to hear, "Mi corazón, would you like to take a walk around the beautiful municipal gardens?" He smiled, took her arm and assisted her to rise, leaving some pesos on the table and leading her at a casual yet steady pace down the street, away from the two strangers.

"Manolo, did you hear those men?" she asked as they neared the corner.

"Yes."

"I begin to fear they may be here for no good reason, my husband."

"Oh, surely not," Mano's voice trailed off as they walked.

"Why not?"

"Chiquita, this is not our concern."

"I think it is.

"Well for now, can we just proceed to the hotel? You need your rest, querida."

"Yes, but Mano, must we walk so fast? she asked, almost breathless. Preoccupied, he had not realized how long his strides had been. I guess we are both too curious about those men, he mused.

"I am sorry," he said, slowing the pace.

Once in their suite, they shut and barred the door. Carmen collapsed on the sofa but Mano started to pace. "My darling, those Frenchmen do seem to be everywhere."

"Yes," she agreed. "Do you think they are criminals? Or plotting some kind of intrigue?" She laughed as she said this, but her eyes gleamed and Mano thought she seemed excited by the prospect of intrigue.

"Oh, certainly. I am sure they wish to reinstate French rule," he laughed. "And of course they have chosen Hermosillo to begin their petite revolution. I mean, why would one try to overthrow the government in Mexico City when one can start here?" His voice carried an edge of good humored sarcasm. "Ah, they must mean to capture the governor himself and hold him for ransom! That must be it!"

"Ah ha," she laughed. "Have you been reading those penny dreadfuls again?"

"Excuse me? You know I only read Cervantes."

"My love, it is ridiculous, I know. But those men do not fit. They do not belong. Something is not right about them."

"Eh? Well, perhaps," he admitted. "Their accents were an odd sort of French, did you not think? And if they were foreign why would they require the disguise of beards? Their faces would not be known. Why draw attention to themselves with their bizarre appearance?"

"Had you considered their very actions might be a diversion?"

"Oh you mean they could be drawing the attention of the authorities away from something else?"

"Yes, my darling, that's exactly what I mean. While we were having coffee just now, I was reading the local paper. One of the headlines concerned the arrival of a famous jewel as part of some world tour. Why one of the stops would be Hermosillo, I cannot imagine, but it seems to be so. A large ruby will arrive tomorrow and will go on display to the public for only two days. At the governor's mansion, no less. It is called the Sangre del Este. And, Manolo, there is to be a grand ball to mark the occasion."

"Could they be after this ruby then?"

"It is possible," Carmen acknowledged. "But then why sit around speaking French and talking about the governor's mansion if you plan to steal something from there?"

"True. Perhaps it _is_ a diversion," Mano suggested. "The local policía will be involved in protecting this jewel and security will be strong. Many will be occupied marshaling the public who wish to view it. This means other locations will be left with only skeleton staff or no protection at all."

"Exactly, Manolo, exactly!"

"What do you suggest we do about this, mi corazón?" he asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Perhaps we could mention our concerns to the police?"

"And what shall we tell them? That we have overheard two people pretending to be French threatening to do something to the governor's mansion or person?"

"Ah, no, that would not work, would it?" Carmen sounded a little less sure now and Mano's mouth curved.

"We could try to find out who their friends are though," he proposed.

"And how would we do this?"

"What about following them, perhaps listening to more of their conversations?"

"Mano, we are here on our honeymoon. I wish to spend time with you, but I do not want to spend it in following some strange men around. Besides, don't you think they might notice us, if we keep turning up in the same places as they?" Mano had to admit that he had other designs for this luna de miel than trailing odd characters across the city. Still.

"Look, Carmenita," he said.. "The doctor has said you must rest, sí? And if we just take small walks each day around the hotel and certainly no further than the governor's mansion, we might bump into those fellows again, might we not?"

"Hmm."

"Could we then not listen un poquito to their conversation and see to whom they are talking and then go and tell your father's friend?"

"I suppose so" Carmen conceded. "But if we do not bump into them within the next day or so, we are going to forget all about them and concentrate on enjoying our time in this beautiful city, aren't we? Mi vida?" She reached up to stroke his hair and smile into his eyes. He leaned over to give her a long kiss. She is very charming, he reflected. And she is very good at that and at other things, too, he observed.

 _VKS & MJRod claim the creation of Carmen Navarro, although we took her first name from a David Dortort script proposal. We also are the creators of the Vargas clan , Rancho Navarro and its people including Delgado, and all of the characters in and around Hermosillo. We would have nothing to create were it not for our favorite western, "The High Chaparral," to which we pay tribute._


	16. Chapter 16

**La Luna de Miel Chapter Sixteen: A Quiet Walk**

Soon it was time for the afternoon meal. After, among other things, discussing their tactics-she was feeling better, Mano concluded-they headed downstairs to the hotel restaurant. Mano thought a nice simple soup or empanada might be just the thing, but Carmen had other ideas as the waiter approached.

"I'd like the pâté de foie gras followed by the trout in almonds on the watercress bed. Then some sorbet citron and, I think, the summer fruit compôte after that."

"Oui, Madame, and for Monsieur?"

"The same." If Carmen felt well enough to eat, why should he deny himself?

Lunch would take some time both to prepare and to eat, so they amused themselves with small talk. In walked the two Frenchmen who were seated by the waiter at a nearby table. Sunlight streamed in from the tall windows, illuminating the men's faces. They dropped their French and spoke English. Mano had not detected they were Norteamericanos although Carmen had already surmised this. Now he could see that pale skin under all those whiskers and the reason for the beards became clearer. Perhaps those faces adorned the walls of several law offices throughout North America and the beards were not only necessary south of the border, but everywhere. He shook his head. Despite himself, Carmen had gotten him interested in these two.

"Manolo?"

"Sí, Carmenita, what is it?"

"I've been trying to talk to you for the last few minutes and you have not been paying attention. I wish to go for a walk after our luncheon. I thought a stroll down to the river would be enjoyable."

"Of course, that sounds delightful," Mano agreed without thinking, his concentration focused on the two suspicious men and their purpose. When his mind caught up with his mouth, he realized he had promised her that they would walk over two miles. Some small stroll. They ate the meal, which proved to be of surpassing excellence. Just as they rose and walked past the two faux Frenchmen, Mano caught the word "payroll" in English, but had no time to listen to more without tipping his hand.

* * *

At the bridge, a half hour later, they stopped and looked over the rails at the water rushing beneath. "I have been thinking what they might be after in this fair city of Hermosillo," Mano said. "One thing occurs to me. The city itself is trying to improve its reputation within Mexico. Hermosillo desires to attract a wealthier, more affluent class, no? For example, the new cathedral is being built now on the site of the former mission church, because the city has grown. If it wishes to grow more, there must be facilities for those people to enjoy."

"Yes, I can see this all around us, Mano. The city is flourishing and growing, but what has this to do with our thieves?"

"Well, Carmen, I overheard the word 'payroll' from our friends before we left the hotel. I have been trying to think of what payrolls might be worthy of thieves who were prepared to create, as you say, a diversion," he explained. "The construction at the cathedral must take many men. The payroll must be very large. I don't know how often the workers are paid, but I would think they would not be paid weekly or maybe even monthly. Where the Church is concerned, money takes a long time to arrive. So perhaps the workers are paid quarterly, and we happen to be here near the end of one quarter, when this payroll is due."

"Yes, I can see that this might be the case. What about our thieves? Do you think they are here to steal this payroll? How would they know about it? How would they even know it is paid quarterly?"

"All good questions. At present I can only guess. They could ask one of the workers, of course, about payroll dates."

"Yes, Manolo, that is very good thinking. You could well be correct. But how would they go about planning to steal this payroll, assuming that is what they even intend?"

"No se. I am puzzled. One thing though: I think they may be Canadian, not American, beloved. This explains how they can switch from French to English so easily and also why their French sounds a little off. There is a French Canadian architect who has made a name for himself in Brazil and who has been training other architects. He has been there for years. Papá thought about consulting him at one point. His name is De Montigny and in yesterday's paper, I saw a photograph of him with another Canadian, the architect who is working on the new cathedral. I think De Montigny is advising him or something."

"But surely neither architect is dishonest?"

"No, my love, I do not think so, but they may have Canadian friends, who have other Canadian friends. Who knows? It is only a theory. I have no proof, nothing to go on but a hunch."

"Amor mío, we have gazed at the river, which is lovely, is it not? Now, shall we stroll back to the hotel, and I do mean _stroll_ , Manolo?" She smiled and took his arm, but he noticed the slight faltering of her step as they set off. She was not quite as recovered as she would have him believe, and mala gente or no, she was not going out of the hotel tonight. They would spend a quiet evening in their rooms, whether she liked it or not. Punto y se acabó. As it turned out, she liked it just fine and he did not have to try to pull rank. As if he could, he laughed to himself, shaking his head.

They saw no strangers, or even people they knew, at the hotel. They spent a luxurious evening in their suite playing backgammon, enjoying a light supper delivered to the room, forgetting all about strange bearded men with odd accents, and instead concentrating on each other. Tired, happy, and very much in love, they went to bed.

 _VKS & MJRod claim the creation of Carmen Navarro, although we took her first name from a David Dortort script proposal. We also are the creators of the Vargas clan , Rancho Navarro and its people including Delgado, and all of the characters in and around Hermosillo. We would have nothing to create were it not for our favorite western, "The High Chaparral," to which we pay tribute._


	17. Chapter 17

**La Luna de Miel Chapter Seventeen: A Run to the Bank**

Another breakfast in their suite and they descended to the lobby. Mano stopped by one of the coffee tables to pick up the local paper while Carmen exchanged pleasantries with the manager. Mano watched her. Her color is better, he thought. She is no longer unsteady. Dios mío, gracias. The doctor was right. It was just a chill. They strolled outside and Mano hailed a cab.

"Where are we going, my love?"

"You'll see when we get there, cariña mía." and he smiled, tight-lipped, secretive, satisfied. Ah, thought Carmen, I will let you have your little game, mi esposo. Such beautiful buildings to attract my attention out this window. Enjoy your fun.

The cab jostled along the street, stopping in front of an imposing building: all marble with white stone steps, Palladian columns, huge oak doors, and the words "Banco Central" engraved on the cornerstone. Mano jumped out of the cab, helped Carmen climb down, paid the driver and took his wife's arm, leading her up the stone steps and through the doors. Crystal chandeliers sparkled. Marble floors shone as glass. Tellers' cages gleamed along the sides. Carmen surveyed the scene. "Mano, what are we doing here?" she asked.

"Follow me, Señora Montoya, and you will discover." He guided her toward a desk at the right. A dapper man with waxed moustaches, a prim gray suit, and rimless pince nez popped up from behind the desk when he saw them.

"Don Manolo! Cómo está usted?" the man asked.

"I'm very well, Señor Lloret. May I present my wife, la Señora Carmen de Montoya?"

"Encantado Señora, encantado!" he gushed, taking her proffered hand with a delicate touch and bowing low.

"May I access my box?" Mano asked, producing a key.

"But of course, sigame por favor." Lloret spun on his heel and, with short mincing steps, led them past the tellers' cages, through a huge steel door, down a marble staircase to an anteroom containing two sturdy oak chairs and a wooden table, scratched and scarred on top but covered with a green cloth mat. Mano pulled one chair out for Carmen and followed Lloret into a backroom with iron bars like a prison door. Soon Mano emerged with a long steel box. Lloret bowed and shut the door so that the couple were alone.

"What is this?" Carmen asked.

"This is my strongbox. It holds something of great value. Sentimental value at least."

She watched as he opened the strongbox and removed the velvet bag, tied with a golden cord. He untied the cord, opened the sack, and allowed the contents to slide out onto the mat atop the table. Carmen gasped and her eyes shone as she saw an intricate silver tiara with ropy clusters of pearls and tiny diamonds. Sapphires studded the main band, its middle adorned by one large sapphire that to Carmen seemed as large as what she had read of the Star of India, but was much smaller.

"Oh Mano, this is exquisite!" she exclaimed.

"It was my great grandmother's. It was brought all the way from Spain and it has been in my family since. My mother wore it once to a ball, but apart from that it has remained here, languishing in this bank vault with no one to admire it."

"Victoria surely will want to wear it?"

"No. She does not. She says the tiara reminds her too much of our mother. It makes her sad. So here it has stayed. Papá presented me with the key to this strongbox on my 21st birthday. He told me that one day I would know what to do with it." He smiled at Carmen "And now I do. I want you to have it. I would love to take you to a grand ball where you might wear it with pride. Only you could do it justice."

"Oh, Mano!" her eyes moistened and she smiled as he lifted the tiara and fitted it to her, nestling it in the thick black curls piled atop her head. He blinked and his breath caught as he looked at her. So beautiful. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips and he returned the embrace. They pulled apart and looked each other in the eye. He removed the tiara, replaced it in the velvet bag, tying it again with the golden cord and pulling on the bell cord. Lloret materialized moments later.

"Please have this delivered to the Hotel Nacional for this evening, Señor Lloret."

"Of course, Don Manolo, of course." Lloret bowed low to both of them and they ascended the stairs alone. Mano knew Señor Lloret would have the tiara fitted into a jewelry case and watched by two employees all day. Never would the guards let it out of their sight until they delivered it to the hotel manager later that day.

* * *

"Cafe, mi amor?" Mano asked as they strolled past a bistro on the way back to the Hotel Nacional. Still flushed with excitement, they had elected to walk rather than summon a cab. The cafe, halfway to the hotel, proved an elegant stop. Carmen pretended not to notice when Mano suggested to the waiter that he add brandy to their coffees. They sipped their carajillos, smiling, looking at each other and saying very little. The brandy relaxed her and her face reddened at a few of the thoughts about him that crept into her mind.

"Are you too warm, beloved?"

"Oh, no. I am fine. Perhaps I am a little...ah, tired." She smiled and he noticed that her breathing quickened a bit. He thought he knew what this meant. They finished their coffees and walked back to the hotel for a late lunch...and a siesta, perhaps.

 _VKS & MJRod claim the creation of Carmen Navarro, although we took her first name from a David Dortort script proposal. We also are the creators of the Vargas clan , Rancho Navarro and its people including Delgado, and all of the characters in and around Hermosillo. We would have nothing to create were it not for our favorite western, "The High Chaparral," to which we pay tribute._


	18. Chapter 18

**La Luna de Miel Chapter Eighteen: The Governor's Ball**

The afternoon was spent in their room doing what young married couples were supposed to do on honeymoons, but Mano had stopped on the way to their suite and arranged for the staff to bring hot bathwater at six. His forethought puzzled Carmen, but she was learning to like surprises. He had whispered to her maid as well, and after a nap and her bath, she found her satin dress, a deep midnight blue, almost black, hanging, ready to be donned. The maid assisted her and then scurried out. Coiffed and smoothed, Carmen walked into the sitting room where Mano, now clad in his black suit, awaited. He stood, his hands behind his back. She held her strand of pearls in her hands.

"Por favor, will you help me…" her voice trailed off. "Manolo, what have you there, behind your back, my love?" She tried to peer around him,

"Ah ah, not yet," he smiled. "I have the tiara, of course. It was delivered this afternoon."

"What else?" she teased. "I can see you have two packages in those hands of yours."

"A kiss first, and you shall see." She complied and he held out a hand which contained a velvet box and bag. "All right, mi vida, all right. Here you are, I hope you like what you find."

She opened the larger item, the velvet box containing the tiara, which sparkled and glistened. The velvet bag held another box, smaller, "Oooh," she exclaimed when she opened it to see a pair of drop earrings, each boasting a large and perfect pearl and embellished with a dangling strand of small sapphires.

"Manolo! They are so beautiful!" she gasped. "Perfect with the tiara and my pearls. So much, mi vida! So much." She smiled. "When did you do all this?"

"Your husband has his ways. I sent to the finest jeweler in Paris as soon as I met you…" he began, till her skeptical look gave him pause. He chuckled. "All right. I bought them in Mexico City when I bought your pearls. I wanted to wait to give them to you until you had seen the tiara. Do you like them?"

"Oh yes!" She moved to the mirror above the dressing table and took a seat, He stood behind her as she looked at her face in the glass. Taking the pearls from her, he draped them across her neck and, with his long fine fingers, fastened them as she put the earrings into her ears after removing the ones she had at first chosen. He lifted the tiara and set it into her coiffeur at the base of the lace mantilla, then stepped back while she admired the results. When she stood and turned, he moved toward her, clasping her hands in his and bringing her fingers to his lips. "My beautiful wife," he said with smile. He let go her hands and offered his arm, which she took, not at all caring that she hadn't the slightest idea where they were going.

As they reached the lobby, the manager signaled and the doorman rushed outside, whistling. Carmen pulled her mantilla around her shoulders against the chill and they climbed into a waiting carriage which set off at a good trot. Neither spoke but her eyes shone. The ride was brief.

* * *

Carmen and Manolo Montoya-looking every bit the Spanish aristocrats-climbed down from the carriage. "Manolo! This is the governor's palace!" she exclaimed, distracted by the other arrivals. "How did you manage this?" she asked as they joined several couples ascending the steps into the entrance hall.

"Well, as you know, the governor was a friend of my father," he explained as they walked up. "When we arrived in Hermosillo, I sent a note by way of Jorge, informing the governor of our marriage and presence here on our luna de miel, requesting an appointment so that I might introduce my wife. He replied with this invitation. And so you shall meet him at the ball." Mano smiled.

Carmen's eyes widened, and arm in arm, they walked into the vast marble ballroom. Gas lights flickered and chandeliers sparkled. Gilded chairs around tables along the sides of the room gleamed. The marble floor shone as a mirror. The governor took Carmen's hand in the receiving line and kissed it as Mano, smiling and proud, introduced her and also shook his hand.

"Ah, if only your father had known this beautiful daughter-in-law, Manolito," the governor said with a broad smile before moving to greet the next in line.

* * *

The evening swirled away in dance upon dance. Mano and Carmen paused only for glasses of wine or champagne...and once in a great while to rest. But mostly they danced. Rumors spread of the attractive young couple's luna de miel, so none dare cut in, although it is doubtful Mano would have allowed it. His eyes were only for Carmen.

The music stopped at ten for the governor's official welcome. All paused with polite applause to gather around the large staircase where the governor stood, surveying the crowd from the first landing. Several flanked him, including a large moustached man with a red ceremonial sash across his chest and some sort of gold medal on a ribbon round his neck. The man looked familiar to Mano. Ah, politicians must have their moment, he thought, trying to look interested as the governor acknowledged guests and dignitaries. At last, the governor announced the presence of a special guest of honor who...

Just then, the noise of men running drew Mano's attention. Two men in greatcoats rushed in from a side entrance, halting at the foot of the steps and looking up at the governor and surrounding dignitaries. Mano pulled Carmen closer and moved to one side as the men, with frantic gestures, motioned for the crowd to step back. Mano and Carmen recognized the intruders. Those beards could not be mistaken.

"Mira" he whispered in Carmen's ear. Wide-eyed, she watched as the scene unfolded while Mano moved his hand to the inside pocket of his jacket, where he kept a small loaded revolver.

The men pulled off their greatcoats to reveal bright plaid shirts, black suspenders and thick black pants stuffed into thick boots: clownish, cartoonish attire. They cupped their hands around their mouths and called to the landing, where the man with the medal and sash burst into a grand smile.

"Do something, Mano!" Carmen whispered.

"Wait," he replied, glad in a moment that he did.

"Oyez, oyez, M'sieur De Montigny, bonne anniversaire!" the men called as they began to dance to music supplied by an accordion player who appeared at the bottom of the stairway. The musician also looked as though he had just emerged from the Canadian woods. The crowd, hushed at first, soon began clapping in time as the two bearded men sang and danced a wild French Canadian woodsman's refrain. Mano and Carmen joined in the laughter. This was the terrible event they had feared-a birthday celebration for a visiting dignitary, the famed architect De Montigny. What a marvelous joke! Ah, so this was it.

"Oh, Mano, I feel so silly!" Carmen exclaimed as she laughed at the spectacle.

"Sí, but at least we did not alert the policía, so let us be grateful for that," Mano added.

The bearded lumberjacks ended the dance and made extravagant bows, to the applause of the guests. Then a man on the landing beside De Montigny and the governor stepped forth-Mano supposed him to be the city mayor-and with a flourish offered the architect the key to the city. At this signal, champagne corks popped in the ballroom and waiters circulated with trays of sparkling wine so that all might drink a toast. Those noises would have been gunshots in the desert, Mano thought, raising a glass to the dignitaries and laughing as Carmen cocked her eyes at him sideways with a slight shake of the head. So silly have we been, my husband, the look said.

 _VKS & MJRod claim the creation of Carmen Navarro, although we took her first name from a David Dortort script proposal. We also are the creators of the Vargas clan , Rancho Navarro and its people including Delgado, and all of the characters in and around Hermosillo. We would have nothing to create were it not for our favorite western, "The High Chaparral," to which we pay tribute._


	19. Chapter 19

**La Luna de Miel Chapter Nineteen: Abduction**

Several hours, several more glasses of fine wine and champagne, several courses of food later, it was long past midnight and time to depart. Manolito and Carmen were among the last to leave. The carriage from the hotel waited at the bottom of the stone steps, and they walked to it, climbing in breathless with laughter, ready to be alone. I cannot believe we stayed as long as we did at the ball, Mano mused, drawing Carmen close. In the dark, they kissed, long and delicious; their hearts beat faster. They paid attention only to each other as the carriage jostled along cobblestone streets. Yet soon Mano realized that they had traveled longer than the ten minute journey to the Hotel Nacional. Even walking, they should have arrived at their lodgings before now. He was about to glance out of the window, when the carriage shuddered to a halt and the door was jerked open.

"What is this?" Mano exclaimed with indignation.

"Step out if you please señores," came a voice, uncultured and coarse. The gun waving at them added weight to the request and the couple complied. Brutish hands gave rough pushes to their backs, forcing them through a door into some sort of warehouse. Inside they saw a dozen or so couples who had also been at the ball...their smiles replaced by worried, frightened expressions. Three men dressed as workmen held guns, their faces stoic, determined, even fierce. They looked like laborers. Ah, Mano thought...such clothing would render them inconspicuous enough in this city where buildings sprang up as mushrooms.

"Manolo…" Carmen began.

"No talking!" a harsh voice barked.

Mano shook his head and put his left arm around his wife's shoulders, holding his right across their bodies to clasp her hand in his. They moved to join the other reluctant guests.

* * *

"And now, you will please to give us the señora's jewelry. At once!" came another command, accompanied by a pistol thrust almost under their noses. Had there not been so many people around, and had Carmen not been there, Mano might have swatted the gun away and tried for his own his revolver, tucked into his inside jacket pocket. No, this was not the time for heroics. "Señor, are you armed?" the gunman asked, suspicious. Mano held up a hand to show his intent and then retrieved the revolver from his pocket, handing it to the thief.

Carmen removed earrings and tiara, which the bandito snatched from her hands. Her hands unsteady, she had trouble unfastening the pearls, so Mano reached back to release the clasp before the necklace could be ripped from her throat. She tried to pull off her wedding ring but it would not budge. Panic flared. The bandito closest to her narrowed his eyes. He sneered. "I will let you keep that, señora. This time," he rasped. Her eyes grew wide. Earlier she had twisted the ring so that the jewels were on the inside of her palm. The thief supposed she wore only a thin gold band, not worth bothering about, she supposed.

Mano watched as the men swept the booty into a large gunny sack. Muchachos, I do not forget a face, he thought, committing each detail of all five men's countenances to memory. You will not keep that tiara, mala gente.

The outer door banged open and three more men strode in, all wearing cloaks similar to those worn by cab drivers. Ah, so this is how they accomplished this, Mano realized. They took the place of the drivers. Must have waylaid each on the way or outside, as they waited. This took some planning. A tall man in fine evening clothes sauntered in next, his familiar face marked by a broad smile. Mano thought he had seen this one at the ball.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for your cooperation," the well dressed man announced. "Your wealth will be shared among those who truly deserve better in this life and you should congratulate yourselves on being such worthy benefactors."

"Benefactors are we? Oh really?" Mano, unable to help himself, said with a laugh. "That is a new name for it."

"Do you doubt me, señor?"

"I do. You have duped these people and stolen their jewels. Now you would have us believe that all this is being done in the name of the poor? A very good joke, señor."

The man stepped in front of Mano and Carmen, who now squeezed her husband's arm with vigor, her nails pressing into his sleeve, urging him to be silent.

"Ah, you are Señor Manolo de Montoya are you not?"

"You are well informed."

"No, just observant. I saw you introduce your charming new bride to the governor at the ball this evening," he smiled. Mano's chest rose and he controlled his breathing with effort. He knew he must not further provoke this man, whose temper might be vented on Carmen instead of himself.

Carmen's chin tilted up. She did not look at the man but kept her eyes fixed on her husband as she prayed. Dios mío, keep him safe. Do not let him do anything rash or foolish.

* * *

"Now then, if you will all move over against that wall, please?" the tall man announced while his gang gestured with their guns. The helpless crowd complied. "We will be leaving in a moment and we are hoping that you will be sensible and not seek assistance for at least ten minutes. Otherwise, we may have to shoot you as you come out of that door." His smile was cold and did not reach his eyes. Mano said nothing but his eyes scanned the room as the gang left the building.

The tall man exited the warehouse last. Nobody within moved except Mano, who tore himself from Carmen and darted along the line of people to the side of the building where he found an unlocked door. With a glance at Carmen who stared after him, silent, her mouth ajar, he turned the handle and proceeded through to a smaller room, again with a door, this one to the outside. He tried this handle and found this door, too, unlocked. He opened it a crack and saw that it looked onto a brick wall and an alley. He stuck his head out the door with caution and glanced right and left, spying the courtyard where the carriages had dropped them. He tiptoed into the alleyway and edged along the wall toward this courtyard, stepping in silence, then dropping to his knees to minimize his chances of being seen before peering into the courtyard. Using an old Apache trick, he froze so that he could survey the scene, motionless and undetectable in the dark.

He saw the men climb into a long wagon and drive out of the courtyard at a brisk trot. The tall man, grasping a riding crop and the bulging gunny sack, prepared to climb onto a horse but the animal proved skittish. As the man took a minute to calm the horse, Mano used his enemy's preoccupation to edge along the building, sticking to the shadows. He crept nearer the man and horse. When Mano got within ten yards, the man placed his foot in the stirrup and grasped the saddle horn to hoist himself and the gunny sack atop the horse. Vamonos, hombre, Mano said to himself, sprinting across the short distance and springing onto the back of the tall man, grasping his coat and pulling him down. The man stumbled backward, dropping the gunny sack onto the ground but dealing Mano a savage blow above the left eye with the riding crop still in his hand. Mano countered by tripping him and falling upon him. The men rolled on the ground, wrestling, till Mano pinned his adversary. Still the man struggled, so Mano sat on him, shoving his face into the dirt with a hand.

"Señor, keep still or I may have to break your neck. No one would blame me," he said in a cold, even voice and the tall man stopped wriggling. "Carmen, señores, ven aquí," he shouted as he next pulled the man's arms behind him while keeping a knee in the small of his back. "Ahora! Ayudame! Andale!" Carmen rushed from the warehouse, followed by several men, victims all who now helped Mano secure the tall man. One gentleman used a rope attached to the thief's own saddle to bind the man's hands. Another ran to fetch the policía. Two men sat on the tall man's back, preventing him from even thinking about moving.

Mano retrieved the gunny sack and opened it, taking the tiara, grabbing his wife's pearl necklace, then rummaging for her earrings before passing the sack to the anxious ladies. "You are bleeding, Manolo!" Carmen cried as she threw her arms around him for a few seconds before pulling back to speak in the loudest voice she could manage, "Don't _ever_ do that again!" Tears of relief streamed down her face, mixing with the blood on his, as he smiled and drew her close.

* * *

The police arrived with endless questions, making notes of every detail Mano and the others could recall. Descriptions. Identifying marks. "They have my gun," Mano explained, describing the small pearl handled revolver that his father had favored. Soon cabs, each driver checked with care, arrived to convey all the guests home. Mano accepted handshakes, thanks, and congratulations from the men and kisses from the women. "It was nothing," he insisted. In truth, it had not been as risky as fighting the Apache. And the danger had energized him.

Dirty and disheveled but intact, Mano and Carmen soon arrived again at the hotel. The manager already knew of the drama-informed by his driver who had himself returned battered and bruised after a few hours of unconsciousness. Señor Garza rushed out to meet them, calling for bath water to be heated and sent up to their room.

"Lo siento, Señores Montoya! The ball, so spoiled."

"Oh, it was not spoiled, Señor Garza," Carmen smiled in reply. "It was a beautiful ball and I enjoyed every minute of it. What happened afterwards was unfortunate, but has not tainted my memory of the ball."

On that note they climbed the stairs to the safety of their room to prepare for the arrival of some much needed bath water. Enough for one, or perhaps two, if we are inventive, Mano smiled to himself, not at all tired and thinking of how much he loved his wife. A knock at the door proved to signal the coming of Dr. Hernandez, called by the manager, so Mano sighed and allowed the physician to attend to his cuts while Carmen bathed. Fifteen minutes later, maids scurried in with additional bath water for Mano and he followed his wife into the tub after the doctor departed. Carmen kissed him and scrubbed his back and teased him. Soon, bathed and refreshed, they sank into bed.

 _VKS & MJRod claim the creation of Carmen Navarro, although we took her first name from a David Dortort script proposal. We also are the creators of the Vargas clan , Rancho Navarro and its people including Delgado, and all of the characters in and around Hermosillo. We would have nothing to create were it not for our favorite western, "The High Chaparral," to which we pay tribute._


	20. Chapter 20

**La Luna de Miel Chapter Twenty: Viernes en Hermosillo**

Carmen awoke first the next morning and watched him as his chest rose and fell with easy breathing. She could not believe her good fortune. Never had she made love to a man who desired to please her more than himself. This, too, was new, and also marvelous. She had loved her late husband, but they had been young, innocent, unaware that life could and would be brief. She now knew to savor the joys that each day and each night could offer and not to wish away the time in search of the next best thing. She had no need to search. She had found this, in him. Last night at the ball and afterward among the banditos had been thrilling and frightening, but they had survived, now stronger and even more in love.

She awakened him with a kiss. He smiled and returned it as she nestled closer to him, her fingers tracing circles upon his bare chest.

"Ay, mi vida," she began in a coy tone. "I must say, I have been most disillusioned."

"How? Why?" he said, unaccustomed to such words.

"Sí. I have decided the nuns lied to me."

"What?"

"Yes, the nuns lied. They told us at the convent school that when we married, our duty would be to our husbands and that we must endure it for the sake of the children we were to bear. I think they were trying to discourage our curiosity."

"I am sure they had the preservation of your virtue in mind, mi amor. So where were they wrong?" he moved his lips to hers again and then to her neck. "Is your duty not to your husband?"

"Mi vida, it is. but the nuns neglected to mention how pleasant this duty would be," she smiled, flirting. He hugged her close and his lips brushed her hair and forehead.

"But surely, this was not unexpected...you and..." he started, then stopped, aware of the awkwardness of what he had begun to say.

"Antonio? Oh, of course. But we were married so very young, Manolito," her voice trailed off as he kissed her again. "So much to learn. But with you, this is…"

"No don't," he said. "Do not say it." But at least I do not have to compete in lovemaking with a ghost, he thought with a smile.

"Mi vida. This has been a most marvelous luna de miel," she continued.

"Marvelous? You became ill. We spent hours worrying about wayward French Canadians. And we were kidnapped and robbed. Marvelous? I would like to see your notion of mediocre, or poor," he said laughing.

"Marvelous. But I am tired. I want to go home soon."

"Ah, Rancho Navarro? We can do that."

"No. Home. Rancho Montoya. We can send some things to Rancho Navarro so that they will be there for our eventual visit. I shall wire Delgado to have a man pick them up at the stage office in Cajeme. We can go to Rancho Navarro after…"

"After what, my love?"

"After we return to Rancho Montoya."

"What? Why?"

"I cannot believe you have forgotten. And I also had forgotten."

"Forgotten? Forgotten what?"

"The mares, Manolo! Are they not soon to foal? At Casa Cueva!"

"Ay chihuahua, you are right, mi corazón! They may have already delivered!"

"Well whether they have or not, I have had enough of this city. Let us go. I wish to go to noon mass at the cathedral today," she said, punching him in the shoulder when he grimaced. "Can you send to Rancho Montoya for a man to fetch us tomorrow? I am ready to ride horses and to see your foals...then perhaps we may go to Rancho Navarro in a week or so?"

"Oh, chiquita, I do not mind returning to Casa Cueva to check on the mares earlier than we anticipated, but let us remain in Hermosillo a few more days, at least through Sunday. When else will it be just the two of us, eh?"

"All right, mi vida. We can go about the city today and, oh, shall we shop? I ordered some items: new riding clothes, a few dresses, when I was at the dressmaker's before our wedding. Some of these might be ready."

"Of course, let us shop," he said, his mouth a thin straight line and his tone flat.

"And perhaps the opera tomorrow then?" she asked.

"Ah, yes, I shall speak to the manager about securing tickets for us. Bueno!" he said. "Maybe a matinee and an early dinner?"

"Oh yes!" her face shone. "And then Sunday we will attend mass again at the cathedral! We have so much for which to be thankful, Manolo."

"Oh, mass... _again_? Certainly, querida," he replied, attempting to sound interested while she slit her eyes at him.

"You promised the padre, Manolo, that you would go to church with me."

"I promised the padre I would attend mass with you. I did not promise how often," he replied, then chuckled. "All right, mi vida. All right."

"So you will send for a man to fetch us on Monday?"

"All right, querida. It may be a good thing anyway that we make an appearance at Rancho Montoya before heading to Rancho Navarro."

"Why?"

"I have been thinking," he paused and looked at her. "Toronado is mine...I mean, ours, no?"

"Toronado is yours, yes."

" _Ours_. What if we…" and Mano leaned in and whispered something in her ear. She smiled, radiant and happy.

"Oh yes. Delgado would be so pleased…. But what of Buck?"

"I think he will have no objections. It makes sense, with the stallion Osito coming along as he is. Well then, Señora Montoya, let us make this most of these, our last few days in Hermosillo, eh? Perhaps we shop a little. Yes, attend mass...but perhaps first, eh?" he reached for her.

"Sí," she smiled, coy, flirting, responding to his touch. She kissed him, then drew back, her face serious. "There is something more, mi vida. One thing troubles me."

"And this is?"

She sighed, then spoke. "You...so many...others...so many women..." she started, then stopped, but his reputation had bothered her. She had only known Antonio...

He raised her face to his and looked in her eyes. He did not smile. This was no joke. She must understand. "Listen to me, Carmen," he said, his fingers framing her face. "I do not remember them." He kissed her. "Not even one. There is only you. And always shall be." She nodded, smiled, and returned his embrace.

And there would be only one, each for the other, from thereon in...to the end of their days...which, as we may see, would be full of adventures and never, ever boring.

 _VKS & MJRod claim the creation of Carmen Navarro, although we took her first name from a David Dortort script proposal. We also are the creators of the Vargas clan , Rancho Navarro and its people including Delgado, and all of the characters in and around Hermosillo. We would have nothing to create were it not for our favorite western, "The High Chaparral," to which we pay tribute._


End file.
